


VOLUME I: The New Witch on the Block

by The1920squeen



Series: Season of the Witch [1]
Category: American Horror Story: Coven, 血界戦線 | Kekkai Sensen | Blood Blockade Battlefront
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bisexual Leonardo Watch, Dealing With Trauma, Gen, Heartbreak, Madison is a bitch!, Past Abuse, Prequel, Salem Witch!Leonardo, Tragedy, Transfiguration (Original), Unrequited Crush, fem!leonardo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2020-08-14 00:37:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 76,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20183359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The1920squeen/pseuds/The1920squeen
Summary: Leona Watch is a descendant of Salem witches.  After receiving the all-eyes of the gods that left her brother completely blind and a grave incident involving her emotionally abusive father, she is forced to live at Miss Robichaux's Academy for exceptional young ladies for her own protection.  There she will meet the rest of the students living at the school, along with the intelligent, yet insecure Cordelia Fox and the kindhearted Cajun witch, Misty Day.  Not only will she learn more about herself, but if the academy was truly meant to be her new home, like her elders said it would.This is a prequel before the seasons of AHS: Coven and Blood Blockade Battlefront.





	1. Chapter 1

As she sat on the train, Leona couldn’t stop thinking about how her life made this sudden sharp turn. Everything was moving at a blinding pace that she just couldn’t keep up. Staring out the window, watching the trees and lakes roll on by, she realized how much she was leaving behind. Along the way, she kept asking herself these same questions.

_ Why did this happen? What did I do to deserve this? Could I have prevented this somehow? Do Mom and Michael hate me for what I did? Is this is why she sent me away? _

The never ending questions were making her feel so frustrated and confused. However, Leona had a feeling that she had this coming for a while. 

* * *

Ever since she was a child she knew she was different. By the time she reached her thirteenth birthday, she discovered her “gifts”, as her aunt called them. Honestly, it surprised her. Leona’s father didn’t come to her party because of work, but she knew the truth. Deep down she knew he favored Michael over her but by the time she hit puberty, it became blatantly obvious. As she locked herself up in her room crying, she wished that she was a boy. Maybe then her father would love her.

Little did she realize that her wish came true. Leona’s long and wild hair became short and her developing chest was flat. When she looked in the mirror to see what was going on, she screamed. Her mother, Aunt Darcey and Michael came into the room to see what was happening. Leona’s mom and younger brother were just as freaked out as Leona was. Fortunately, her Aunt kept a cool head since she knew what was happening to her beloved niece. After all, Aunt Darcey went through the same thing that Leona did.

So apparently, Leona was a Salem descendant, a witch, just like her aunt. From what she was told, when her ancestors on her father’s side migrated from France to the new world, they settled in Salem for a while. However, by the time the Salem witch trials began, Leona’s ancestor witch realized that her and her family wouldn't be safe as long as she remained in that village. So, she got the hell out of dodge along with her sister witches and headed down south.

This information was overwhelming for Leona, especially for her mother. At first she couldn’t believe that there were such things as witches, but Darcey assured that it was all true and even demonstrated some of her powers. That was enough to convince her and Michael that witches were real. Even though Leona was still scared and confused by this, she was relieved. Her whole life she convinced herself that something was wrong with her, but her Aunt told her she was perfectly fine and that she was special. That little word was enough to put that smile back on Leona’s face.

However, once Leona turned back into her old self, her mother and Aunt made her promise not to tell anyone that she was a witch. Leona wondered why, but Darcey warned her that Salem witches were slowly becoming extinct and they are always a target for witch hunters. At first Leona couldn’t believe that there would still be witch hunters in this day and age. But then again, she couldn’t believe that there were actual witches walking the earth, so of course there would still be witch hunters.

But the most important rule that her Aunt Darcey made her keep, Leona was to never tell her father about her new powers.

For as long as she could remember, her father and aunt always had an unstable relationship. She couldn’t understand why her dad hated Darcey so much. Every time she came to visit he would get absolutely livid. Now that everything was out in the open, Leona understood why his contempt for his younger sister was so strong. That was so like him. Just the thought of a woman having more power than him was enough to make him disgusted.

Leona was reluctant to keep her promise. She really did think that if she were to change herself into a boy thanks to her new transfiguration ability, her dad would finally like her. But, after a few comforting words from her family, she finally gave in. Aunt Darcey reassured Leona that even if she didn’t have her father’s love, she would still have her Auntie’s. That was enough for her to keep her promise.

As the years passed, Leona’s life went on as normal as possible. She never did tell her father about the incident. However, she always went to her aunt’s place in secret for guidance. When Leona’s powers emerged after her thirteenth birthday, Darcey became her mentor. Over the years, Leona was able to learn more about herself and family history. She found the stories of the witches that came before her and her aunt truly fascinating. Who would have thought that transfiguration was her family’s bailiwick?

Darcey taught her about how some witches were born at least every other generation. However, in Leona’s case she was the rare exception. Apparently, she is the only witch in the family who was born right after her aunt’s generation. She even learned that not every girl was born a witch. At least five men in her family tree were born as warlocks. This was very amazing to Leona. Even though she was closer to her Mother’s family, she was more than glad to know more about her father’s side.

She asked her aunt why her father never spoke of this. The question made Darcey uncomfortable. She simply said that Leona’s father was just ashamed and embarrassed of his family history. While she wasn’t wrong in her answer, it was only half of the truth. It was for the best that Leona should wait until she was ready to fully understand.

By the time Leona was in college, she had fully mastered transfiguration. She could change herself into any animal or person that she desired. While it wasn’t entirely useful, it was still a fun power to have. She would spend hours entertaining her younger brother with impressions of famous people and their bullies from school. However, there were a few times she almost got caught by their dad. The one time she changed herself into her father to make fun of him behind his back was a very close call. The siblings made a promise to only do that when their father was working late at the hospital. But even so, life was still pretty good for Leona.

However, that would all change by the time she turned twenty-one.

Ever since Michael was born, he’d always been sickly and weak. Not long after he became a teenager, his illness took away the use of his legs and he became permanently disabled. Even though it was hard on the family to come to terms that Michael would never be on his feet again, Michael told everyone that he was okay with it and that he was still the same Michael. However, Leona and Michael’s father wouldn’t accept it. One way or another, he was going to have his favorite child walking again.

Their father tried every treatment in the book. From physical therapy, to even considering having his legs amputated for prosthetics. The thought of that terrified Michael to no end. He told his dad that enough was enough and to just get over it. However, his father was too stubborn to give up. He then got an idea. If there wasn’t a hospital in the country that could cure his son, he knew the one place that could.

When Leona was nineteen years old, a phenomenal and terrifying event shook up the entire nation and the world. Right in the heart of New York City, an inter-dimensional sinkhole opened up and the human and alter worlds have collided. That was when the Great Collapse had happened. Through the chaos and confusion, the city was rearranged and the number of fatalities was high. However, thanks to the help of the brave castor team, they were able to suspend the collapse and the city was saved. But, New York City would never be the same again.

When the chaos died down, New York City was renamed Hellsalem’s Lot. While there was a lot of tension, humans and beyondians found solid ground and coexisted peacefully. Well, peacefully enough anyway. Within a year, abnormal became the new normal in the land of Hellsalem’s Lot and people went on to live their lives in the newly constructed haven of the supernatural.

Since Hellsalem’s Lot was considered to be a place of miracles, Charles Watch dragged his family to the outskirts of the city. Even though Leona’s mother and brother knew what he was up to, they decided to just treat it like an adventurous family weekend. However, Leona wasn’t buying any of it. The whole trip she was irritable and she was angry at her father for putting his own family at risk for some magical cure that didn’t even exist. Actually, Leona found out just how desperate her father was through Aunt Darcey. Charles was even willing to go to his sister whom he hated so much for help. However, her answer was the same as the doctor’s who tried to to treat Michael. There was nothing she could do.

In anger, he told Darcey they would go to Hellsalem’s lot for a cure. Finding his plan to be completely idiotic, she begged him not to go. Darcey told him that he would only put his and his family’s life in danger if they went there. But, being the stubborn and ignorant man that he was, defied his sister’s warning.

However, little did Leona know that the trip she had been dreading to go on, would change her life forever.

It all happened so fast… Leona and her family were standing near the statue of liberty when that… thing appeared. Everyone except for her and Michael were standing before the frightening specter. She tried to scream, but her voice was stuck in her throat and she was literally shaking in her boots. 

The deity held up a pair of glass eyes in front of her and said, “_ YOU MUST CHOOSE… WHICH ONE OF YOU TWO WILL BARE WITNESS?” _

Even though Leona was frozen in fear, she could sort of understood what it meant. The one who would choose not to bare witness… they would no longer need their eyesight. For a moment there, it looked like the deity would take away her sight. 

But then, her brother spoke up. “If you must, then take it from me… If you must, then take my sight from me!”

Leona tried to say something to stop what was about to happen, but it was too late. The monster had begun to implant her new eyes into her sockets and had taken away her brother’s sight, leaving him completely blind. When the deity disappeared and time began to move again, Leona was on her knees screaming and sobbing hysterically. Her new eyesight had left her very sensitive and it felt like her eyes were burning. However, her brother was completely calm. The Watch’s trip was cut short after that event.

After they got home, Charles true colors began to show. He was absolutely furious with Leona. He kept calling her a coward, worthless, spineless. That she should have been the one who have gone blind instead of Michael. Better yet… It should have been Leona that was born ill and left disabled… Her mother and brother tried to calm her father down, but it was no use. Every single insult was equivalent to being stabbed in the heart. 

However, it was his last words were what really did it… “You’re mother should have never given birth to you…”

Leona’s mind completely shut down after that. Subconsciously, she took off the bandages covering her eyes, raised her hand… then she…. She……

* * *

“Leona… Dear… It’s time to wake up.”

She woke up with a start when she felt a hand on her shoulder. That’s right, Leona was on the train heading straight for New Orleans. The woman accompanying her, a redheaded woman by the name of Myrtle Snow, sat back in her seat.

“There we are. Did you have a good rest?”

Leona almost chuckled bitterly but held back. Myrtle really was being sincere. “Not really…”

The middle-aged woman nodded. “I figured as much. The way you were whimpering in your sleep, I knew you were having a nightmare. Forgive me for not waking you up sooner, but it’s bad luck to interrupt a dream in some cultures. I didn’t want to risk it.”

“It’s fine.” Leona said. “Are we almost at the station?”

“We’ll be arriving in about fifteen minutes. From then on, it will be a thirty minute drive to Miss Robichaux's Academy.”

Leona winced when Myrtle said the name of the school. She couldn’t believe it. She had just turned twenty-one and she was to be sent to boarding school. She was rather bitter about it since she was too old for the whole thing and had no desire to return to the nightmarish hell of teenage drama.

“I can sense you’re still apprehensive about this. It’s written all over your face, dear.”

Leona was about to retort, but sighed in frustration. “To be honest, I can’t help but feel like I’m being punished.”

The redhead smiled sympathetically. “I know how you feel, Leona. Believe me, I along with your aunt and every single one of our kind had went through the same thing you’re going through now. You’re not being punished, little bird. Your family just want you safe, that’s all.”

“I get that. I just don’t understand why I have to be sent away. I would never tell a soul about what happened.”

“Neighborhood gossip can still spread like wildfire, my girl.” The elder said with honesty. “On top of the incident that happened in your parent’s house, you possess one of the most rare artifacts crafted by the very gods themselves. You might as well have a bullseye on your back.”

She had a point. Leona didn’t have the right to argue with her. Anyone could be a hunter and her life could be in danger at any moment. She really didn’t have that much of a choice anymore.

“Still, I wish I had more time to pack. I didn’t even have time to bring my guitar with me. Did those guys really have to manhandle me like that?”

Leona was referring to the two pale men in black suits in the compartment next to them.

“A necessary evil I’m afraid.” Myrtle said with a sigh. “We thought that you would refuse to go along with us. We needed the man power to take you to the station if you decided to go the stubborn route.”

“I see… well, good thing I still have my camera since I never leave home without it anyway.”

She took out her digital camera and went through the pictures that she saved. She couldn’t take any pictures since she obtained the all-seeing-eyes. While Leona was still a bit perturbed about moving to a place and without her say in the matter, she may as well do some sight seeing and get some neat pictures of the “Big Easy”.

“Of course, your aunt told me about your passion for photography in her phone call. Rather than think of this turn of events as a punishment, think of it as an adventure. There are numerous photogenic places in the city just dying to be captured on film. Also, the next time I visit, I will take you to the most splendid seafood restaurant in the French Quarter. They cook a blackened barracuda so divine, it will send you to heaven after the first bite!”

Leona chuckled warmly. Aunt Darcey did mention that her old mentor was a bit on the eccentric side. But, she understood why she spoke so fondly of the redhead. Myrtle really was trying to help put the young witch’s mind at ease. It’s true that Myrtle was a bit weird, but she also had the familiar warmth and wisdom of her aunt.

“I’ll be looking forward to it. Thank you, Ms. Snow.”

“Anytime, dear.” She said with a rose colored smile.

* * *

Soon enough, they arrived at Union Passenger Terminal shortly after their conversation. Leona was fine with carrying the little luggage she had, but Myrtle insisted that the bodyguards take care of them. They had a car waiting for them outside the station. The two women sat in the back as the two men got up front and drove them to their destination. As they got closer to the school, the butterflies in Leona’s stomach kept bothering her. New places always made her nervous and despite Ms. Snow’s comforting words on the train, she still felt like she was gonna throw up. Of course she would try to aim as far away from Myrtles outfit as possible. It really was a great ensemble and it would be a shame to ruin it with her own puke.

However, before she could even think about telling the driver to pull over so she could empty the contents of her stomach, the car slowed down to a halt.

“We’re here.” Said Myrtle.

That sick feeling that Leona had turned into an icy chill in her stomach. She took a deep breath then opened the car door. In front of her stood a beautiful colonial style mansion, painted pristine white with Greek wooden pillars surrounding the exterior of the school. The house was surrounded by lush greenery with two weeping willow trees on each side of the mansion. Beautifully decorated fences and an iron gate with a plaque reading, _ Miss Robichaux’s Academy for exceptional young ladies _on the front.

Leona was completely taken aback by the overwhelming yet elegant presence of the school. She began to wonder how many students would be able to fit in a place like this.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” Leona answered breathlessly, still in awe of its beauty.

The gate then opened by itself. She figured it was probably the redhead’s doing. As Leona was still shocked by the size of the mansion, Myrtle took a piece of paper from her pocket and placed it in her hands.

“If you’re ever in need of my assistance, please reach me at this number. Welcome to your new home, Leona.”

“Thank you, Ms. Snow. I-”

However, just as she was about to face her companion, Myrtle Snow, along with the two guards and the car completely vanished! She didn’t even hear the car start! The only other witch Leona had known was her aunt. Apparently, there was much about this world she had been thrown into that she did not know about.

Trying to shake off that past weirdness, Leona took her small suitcase, and walked up the stairs to the front door. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer. After a few minutes, the door opened up. Leona was welcomed by a tall and lanky man in his mid forties to early fifties. He was wearing a butler’s uniform, that looked neatly cleaned and pressed. However, his appearance was less than what a butler would look like. His hair was long and scraggly. He had a short beard, his cheekbones and eyes were sunken in, and his fingernails were long overdue for a much needed manicure. But what made him very unsettling was how silent he was. He didn’t say hello or even made the guess that she was going to be a new tenant.

She suspected the man may have been mute because of a physical or mental disability, but the overall silence and they way he was just kept staring at her with his beady eyes made her feel on edge. Desperate to make the awkwardness between them go away, Leona figured it was best to introduce herself.

“Um, hello! My name is Leona Watch. I’ll be living here starting today.”

The butler blinked a few times, but just kept staring at her. “Uh… I was told I’m supposed to meet with Mrs. Cordelia Foxx upon my arrival. She probably told you I’d be coming.”

There was some more silence for beat, but then the man nodded and stood to the side to let her in.

“Thank you.” Leona said politely.

When she crossed the threshold, she entered a long hallway leading to a grand staicase. On both sides of the hall lead to two big, separate, rooms of the house. One of them was the dining room. With a long table meant for ten people. An old fireplace was in the back of the room and it’s mantle had two candles on each side and an antique mirror was held above it. A crystal chandelier was hanging above the table. It wasn’t lit because it was the early afternoon of course, but Leona could only imagine what it looked like when it was.

As she was still peering into the dining room, the butler tapped her shoulder. He pointed straight into the parlor across from it.

“Oh, should I wait in there?” she asked.

The lanky man nodded in response. Leona took her suitcase and set it beside her as she settled in the middle of the sofa as he went to retrieve his employer from her office. As she waited, she looked around the room. Aside from the luxurious Victorian furniture, there were painted portraits covering almost every bit of the walls in the parlor. 

“I wonder if all of these women were past teachers here at the academy?”

Leona got up from her seat and walked about the room, wanting to take a closer look at the portraits. Each and every one of the women were from a different time period and all of them were beautiful. However, Leona couldn’t understand why, but she noticed that all of their faces held an underlying sadness, even those who were smiling. It’s almost as if they had all lost someone or something very dear to them.

But, there was this one portrait that really caught her attention. She was a tall and thin woman with a dark French bob haircut and a black flapper dress. Leona suspected that the portrait was done around the 1920s or early 1930s. It truly was uncanny. The hairstyle, the physique, the ruby red lips. This woman looked exactly like… 

“Auntie?”

“ Mimi DeLongpre, she was the reigning supreme of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the successor of Marianne Wharton.”

Surprised, Leona turned around to face a tall and elegant looking woman in her early thirties with blonde shoulder length hair. She stood gracefully as she held her hands in front of her. The young witch suspected her to be the headmistress Ms. Snow told her about on the train.

“Oh! I see. I mean, I knew she must have been an important witch. It’s just that she looks a lot like-”

“Darcey Watch.” The woman said with a warm smile. “Yes, she was heavily inspired by Delongpre back when we were students here at the academy. You’re Aunt called me this morning and said you were on your way. My name is Cordelia Foxx. I’m the headmistress here at the school. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Leona.”

She took The headmistress’ hand and shook it firmly. She certainly seemed friendly. From what Leona was told, Aunt Darcey and Cordelia Fox were close friends during their days at the academy. They still maintained that friendship even after they graduated. When Darcey called Cordelia about her niece’s situation, she was more than happy to take the young witch in.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Foxx. Aunt Darcey told me all about you.”

Cordelia smiled a bit and blushed. “Yes well… um, shall we have a seat in my office? We have a lot to talk about.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Wonderful, right this way please.”

Before the two women moved to her reception room, she stopped at the butler.

“Spalding, could you take Leona’s bags up to her room please?”

The silent servant nodded and took her backpack along with her carry on bag and headed up the stairs. As they went to Cordelia’s office they continued their conversation.

“I’m sorry you had to bring so little on such short notice. However, your aunt will be stopping by at the end of the week with the rest of your things. I trust you brought at least the necessities with you?”

“Yeah, I have my electronics, toiletries, and clothes to last the week.”

“That’s good to hear. Please, have a seat.”

Leona sat down in the antique chair, facing Cordelia’s desk. It had a bunch of different plants on it along with some files and some other assorted supplies. The headmistress brought a tea tray and sat it down in front of her new charge.

“Care for a cup? I’m sure the long journey has made you parched.”

“Now that you mentioned it, I am a little thirsty. Thanks.”

As Cordelia was pouring the tea, Leona couldn’t keep her eyes off of her. It’s true she was very pretty, but there was more to her than that. From the moment she stepped foot in the parlor, Cordelia stood and moved about the room with the grace of a queen. Not only that, she seemed to have this glowing aura about her. Ever since Leona got used to her new eyes, she gained the ability to see the auras of all humans and creatures. A lot of them weren’t extraordinary, but some of them had very unique qualities that said a lot about its owner. Cordelia’s was one of those auras. It glittered and shone as if she was surrounded by a crown of jewels.

“Beautiful…”

“I beg your pardon?”

Leona was brought out of her trance with Cordelia’s question. She immediately felt her face heat up. This was not how she wanted to start her face day in her new home. 

‘_I’ve been here for like, what, fifteen minutes and I’m already making things awkward? Pull yourself together, Leo!' _

Uh! Umm… what I meant was, this house is so beautiful! Really, I never get to see old colonials like these too often. Hehe…”

“Oh! Yes, it is very beautiful. Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies was a finishing school built in 1790. During the Civil War, the school was shut down and converted into a military hospital. In 1868, Marianne Wharton, a prominent socialite, early suffragette, children’s book author and the reigning Supreme at the time, bought the academy and converted it into a safe haven for young witches, like yourself.”

While this was all very fascinating, Leona was confused.

“So, this isn’t boarding school?”

“It is, but as you can already tell, we are not your average school. Of course, we do offer a K-12 program here and give our students the option of learning basic subjects. However, our student’s primary source of education is learning more about themselves, the gifts they possess and how to control them.”

Now it was starting to make sense. The whole boarding school thing was just a front to keep the public at bay. Although, she wondered why it still was. Ever since the Great Collapse of New York, everything about the supernatural was out in the open. They shouldn’t have to keep up the ruse, shouldn’t they?

“But Ms. Cordelia, why keep up the front? It’s been three years since the Great Collapse. Surely, people must be settled with the idea of the supernatural by now?”

Cordelia’s smile faltered as she twiddled her thumbs. “Not everyone is so opened minded, Leona. People here on the outside are as terrified as ever. If anything, our kind is in more danger than it has ever been… But, enough about that right now. Let’s talk more about you, shall we?”

The headmistress put on her reading glasses as she took out a Manila folder. Leona suspected Darcey must have sent those files after the accident.

“From what I understand, Darcey has been your mentor since you were thirteen.”

“That’s correct, Ma’am.”

“And that’s when your powers first emerged?”

Leona still remembered that day like it was yesterday. “Yeah… it was my birthday party and my dad didn’t show up. I was upset and kept thinking things would be better if I was his son rather than his daughter. Next thing I knew, I was turning into a male version of myself. But, thanks to Aunt Darcey’s tutelage I’ve managed to perfect it.”

Cordelia smiled at her explanation. “That’s good to hear. I remember Darcey loved playing pranks on the girls with that power, especially my mother when she came on her rare visits. But hopefully, you haven’t followed in her footsteps?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call them pranks per se. I would often entertain my brother by mimicking our parents behind their backs. But, I almost got caught when dad came home early that one time.”

Cordelia chuckled at this. Despite Leona’s polite and timid nature described by her friend, she really wasn’t too different from Darcey. However, while this was all very amusing, her transfiguration ability wasn’t the reason why Darcey wanted her niece to live here.

“Let’s talk about your other abilities now. You discovered this one just recently, correct? Your Aunt told me about what happened, but I’d rather hear it from you. Can you tell me about the incident with your father?”

Leona felt the blood drain from her face. It had been a week since then and her wounds were still fresh. She knew she would have to open up about what she did eventually, but she didn’t expect it to be so soon. The young witch felt her throat tighten up as she took her long mane of brown hair and tugged at it.

“I…” Leona managed to choke out. “I can’t… not right now… I just can’t.”

The headmistress smiled sympathetically. “I understand. We can talk about it when you feel ready. But remember Leona, your powers are nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all done something with them that we’re not proud of. The important thing is that we learn to control them and you will in time. Things will get better for you soon Leona, you’ll see.”

While Leona didn’t entirely believe her life will get better for her with those powers. She felt relieved knowing that she wouldn’t have to face her demons alone.

“Thanks, Ms. Cordelia. I really appreciate hearing that. It’s been a very difficult week for me and my family. We appreciate all that your doing for us.”

“No problem. Besides, we’re always happy to welcome a new witch here. However, before I give you a tour of the house, I would like to discuss the circumstances concerning your eyes. Can I take a quick look, please?”

She knew that this was going to come up as well, and just like the accident, she wasn’t ready to talk about what happened. However, she didn’t entirely mind showing them to Cordelia.

With some hesitation, she slowly opened her eyes to her.

The young teacher was amazed by them. She stood up from her desk and walked in front of Leona. Placing her hands on The girl’s cheeks, she turned her head from side to side to observe the godly artifacts up close. They had a delicate shade of blue and looked as fragile as glass. The runes etched into the eyes were unlike anything she’s ever read in books. They truly were a wonder to behold.

“Incredible… There’s no doubt about it. Those are the genuine all-seeing-eyes of the gods. At first I couldn’t believe it when Darcey told me you were in possession of them. But, here they are.”

“Do you know anything about them?” Asked Leona. She was willing to accept anything since they were still so new to her.

“I’m afraid any knowledge I have on them is limited. All I know is that since the beginning of time, men and women from each generation came to possess the eyes. Basically, those people were meant to be the overseers of history. But, that’s all I know. Those eyes are pretty much a complete mystery to me as it is to you. Leona, under no circumstances are you to talk about those eyes to anyone outside this coven. I have already told my students about them ahead of time and have sworn them to secrecy and I need you to do the same. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes Ma’am. I’m well aware about the dangers of my situation. Trust me, the last thing I want to do is cause more trouble for my family and I definitely don’t want to cause any more for you too.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Leona.” Cordelia said with a smile. “Now then, shall I give you a tour? After that I can show you to your room. You can unpack your stuff and rest there until we start our midday gathering. I’ve sent the girls out to get some groceries, but once they come back I’ll introduce you to them at the gathering.”

“That sounds great. Thank you.” Leona got up from her seat and followed the teacher out of the office.

During the tour, Cordelia told Leona more about the coven’s history. Back in the day, the school was absolutely thriving. There were at least sixty student witches living at Miss Robichaux's, that there were at least four bunk beds to a room. However, over time those numbers have dwindled. Now with Leona’s arrival, there were only four. This really surprised Leona. How could a once great haven had lost so many students?

“What happened to cause the student population to dwindle so badly?” She asked out of curiosity.

“As you probably already know, we’re a dying breed, Leona. Many families who knew they carried the blood of our kind made the choice not to reproduce.”

“Is that the only reason, Ma’am?”

“No.” Said Cordelia. “Like I said before, not everyone is tolerant of us. Since the days of Salem we have been hunted for religious persecution. This world is still fairly new to you, but trust me, the danger is real.”

Leona kept quiet after that. She knew that life for a which could be trouble, but she didn’t know it was this bad. At the time Darcey told her about witch hunters, she thought it was all just an exaggeration. But, it had to be true if Salem witches really were dying out. It was rather disheartening, now that Leona thought about it… 

The headmistress showed Leona everything in the house. She’s already seen the ancestral room and the dining room, of course. But, she also showed her the kitchen, the library, the greenhouse and a few of the bedrooms. Since there were very few living at Miss Robichaux's, each girl was given their own boudoir. By the end of the tour, she saved Leona’s room for last. 

“This will be your new room. I’ve made sure everything was cleaned and it has all the essentials for all your needs.”

When Cordelia opened the door, Leona was greeted with a small yet charming white bedroom. There was a white, colonial, twin bed settled in the right side of the door, with a night stand on the far wall. A vanity was on the left side of the door. An antique desk was on the far left wall right across from the bed. A walk-in closet was also on the left. In it, there was plenty of space for her clothes and bags. There was also a full body mirror in the corner of the closet and a door that lead out into the hall. The door at the end of the bedroom was Leona’s own private bathroom, complete with a shower/bathtub, vanity and toilet. In the corner next to the bathroom was a little reading nook. And last but certainly not least, the door near the foot of the bed lead out onto the balcony. Leona was a tad overwhelmed by how luxurious the room was. If anything, she was surprised she would get her own bathroom there!

“I hope the room is to your liking.” Said Cordelia sincerely.

“It’s perfect! It really is a great room.” 

“I’m very glad to hear that, Leona. Now then, I’m sure you would like to unpack and get settled in. When the girls come back from their errands, I’ll come and get you.”

The girl smiled and nodded at the headmistress. “Thank you, Ms. Cordelia. Oh, and please, call me Leo.”

“Of course. Welcome to Miss Robichaux's, Leo.” And with that, Cordelia gave her another welcoming smile and shut the door to leave her to her unpacking.

Leona noticed her luggage that Spalding had left on her bed. Because she was forced to bring the stuff her mother packed before she was forced out of her home, Leona really didn’t have much to unpack. She did place her good clothes on the hangers in the walk-in closet. Her jeans, t-shirts and underwear were placed in the drawers. Last was her electronics. Once her Laptop was plugged in and hooked up to the Wi-Fi, she was all set.

After all of that was done, she went out to the balcony to get some fresh air. Leona leaned on the railing and observed the neighborhood. Now that she was actually in New Orleans, an overwhelming feeling came over her. Everything really did happen so fast. First the incident with that… thing in Hellsalem’s Lot, then the accident with her father, being forced out of her childhood house and into a place completely alien to her made her feel completely drained. She reached into her pocket to take out her smartphone, thinking about giving her mom and brother a call. However, she wondered if they really wanted to talk to her after everything that happened. In the end, she put her phone back. It was probably for the best to give them their space for a while.

“Well, Ms. Snow did say I should think of this new experience as an adventure. Might as well make the most of it I guess. Hmph, welcome to your new home, Leona Watch…”


	2. Chapter 2

When it was time for midday gathering, Cordelia came to fetch Leona from her room to meet the students. On their way down the stairs, the young witch was feeling very anxious. Because she wasn’t a normal girl, making new friends was not her forte. However, she tried to remain optimistic. Since these girls were witches themselves, surely they most know what it’s like to be in her shoes… right?

By the time they finally made it to the parlor, the three students all had their eyes on her. One was an African American girl probably around seventeen or eighteen, who was rather on the heavy side. She had a look of indifference on her face the moment Leona walked into the room. While she was a bit intimidating, Leona hoped they would get along during her stay.

The other witch was sitting in the antique chair, just sipping her tea. She was a bit on the short side and had long, straight, brown hair. The girl was probably around her age maybe a year younger. She smiled at Leona and gave a short wave at her and Leona waved back to be polite. The brunette certainly seemed friendly, but there was a hint of mystery about her that made Leona feel nervous. Leona was certainly willing to get along with her too, but she thought it was best not to keep her guard down either.

Lastly, there was the blond haired witch. She was lounging on the couch as if she was a queen. Her designer clothes, jewelry, bejeweled smartphone, and hair extensions were practically screaming “spoiled rich girl”. However, Leona could have sworn she’d seen her before. She always found celebrity gossip a bore, but she may have seen her in a few teen dramedies or on the cover of People magazine at the super markets. Leona figured becoming besties with this one was going to be too much of a stretch. But, still she saw no reason to quarrel with her. It was for the best to leave her alone and in turn she will do the same.

Cordelia took her seat in the antique chair facing both the couch and the two other chairs. Leona sat in the one next to the brunette.

“Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Leona Watch.” Cordelia said to her students. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, she will be staying with us for the indefinite future. Leona, this is Queenie. She came to join us just a few years ago.”

“Hey…” she said with a neutral expression. Leona knew it, Queenie really couldn’t care less that she was the new girl or not.

Cordelia just went on with her introductions. “The witch sitting next to you is Nan. She’s been here for a while now.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Leo.” She said holding out her hand.

Leona warmly took Nan’s hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you too. How did you know I liked being called Leo?”

“I’m clairvoyant.” she said bluntly. 

Now Leona knew the reason why she felt a bit uneasy around her. Nan was a mind reader. She took a mental note that she needed to keep her mind blank as much as possible. Although, that would be close to impossible. Leona tended to have a racing mind when she was in an anxious state.

“And lastly we have-”

“Madison Montgomery… movie star. I'm sure you've heard of me.” The blonde said after interrupting the teacher. Clearly, she didn’t like someone else do the introductions for her.

Leona was able to understood why Madison looked so familiar to her. From what she had heard, Madison Montgomery has been in movies and TV shows since she learned how to speak. The young witch had seen a few of her movies but she was never a fan of them. She always thought teen romantic comedies were stupid and poorly written. Personally, she was more into the artistic and Gothic horrors, as well as 2D animated movies and anime. However, and she’s only heard this from gossip, Madison’s career was on hiatus due to her out of control drinking and partying habits. When Leona thought of celebrity rehab, this was not what she had pictured it to be.

Queenie just snickered. “Please, I’m still wondering when was the last time you were in a movie.”

Madison turned her head and sneered from her comment. “Do you really want to go at this again?” 

Queenie quickly got up from her seat. “Bitch, you know I have.”

“Girls!” Cordelia got in between the two of them before they went for each other's throats. “Is this any way to act in front of a new witch?”

Not wanting to be lectured, the two rivals sat down in their respective seats. It was clear as day that Queenie and Madison did not get along. They were just about to go at each other like stray cats in an alleyway. Leona really hoped she’d never be the mediator between them. But, it was probably unavoidable. 

After Cordelia was able to settle her students, she turned back to the new witch. “Leo, would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself?”

Leona blushed when the headmistress asked that question. This really was the first day of school all over again! As far as she could tell, none of them seemed interested since her story of how she came to be at the academy. probably because her story wasn’t too different from theirs. However, not wanting to appear stuck up, she sat up straight in her chair and cleared her throat.

“Well, um… My name is Leona Watch… I’m a witch! Of course, that goes without saying... Uh… I lived in Vermont and I was a photography student before I came here… and um-”

Madison scoffed as Leona kept babbling. “Is New Girl here for real?”

Cordelia glared at the blonde. “Madison, we all know what it’s like to be nervous on our first day in a new place.”

She just rolled her eyes. “Please, we’re all thinking it. So New Girl, what did you do to wind up in a place like this?”

Leona twiddled her fingers. Cordelia was sympathetic enough to give her time to explain her situation. But, she knew Madison’s kind all too well. Spoiled and a total gossip to boot. She wasn’t willing to give this brat the satisfaction.

“I told Ms. Cordelia I wasn’t ready yet.” She said firmly.

“Killjoy…” Madison sneered.

“Is it true you have the all-seeing-eyes of the gods?” Leona were surprised when Nan piped up for that question. Soon, she was bombarded by Madison and Queenie.

“Yeah, are they actually real?” The blonde asked as she got up from her seat and moved towards Leona.

“I’m curious too.” Said Queenie. “When Ms. Cordelia told us a witch with the eyes of the gods was going to stay with us, I didn’t want to believe it. Now that you’re here, you can show us if she was telling the truth. 

This was getting out of hand. Of course, Cordelia did tell her students ahead of time before she came here. However, she didn’t think her students would be this brash in asking all these questions. Not wanting to have her new charge feel more uneasy than she already has, thought it was best to defuse the situation before Leona had a nervous breakdown.

“Girls, please! Leona, you don’t have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. We understand that you need time before you feel ready to talk with us.” She turned her head and glared at her students. “And I trust you girls have the patience to wait until she is emotionally ready.”

Even though she was touched Cordelia came to her rescue, Leona knew the badgering wouldn’t stop. They would only get more curious the longer she waited. She was going to have to show everyone eventually. It was for the best to just get it over with right then and there.

“It’s fine, Ms. Cordelia. You got to see my eyes, it’s only fair they get a chance to see them too.”

As soon as Leona gave her permission, the students quickly got in her face to see the eyes up close. Slowly, she opened her eyes for them to see. They couldn’t believe it. Those eyes really were the genuine article. Even Queenie admitted that those glass eyes couldn’t have been made with human hands. Glass eye makers wouldn’t even be able to master the delicacy of the glowing runes.

“Holy shit.” said Madison breathlessly.

“They’re actually real…” said Queenie.

Tired of all the staring, Leona closed her eyes as soon as her fellow witches had gotten their fill of them. When everyone went back to their seats, Cordelia went on with the ground rules concerning Leona’s stay.

“Alright, now that we’ve all seen the eyes of the gods, you all know that they are of indescribable value. This puts Leona’s life in great danger. I must remind all of you that you are sworn to secrecy. Not one word about her eyes is allowed to leave the walls of this house. Is that understood?”

All of them nodded in silence, still stunned by what they had just witnessed.

“Good. Now Leo, there are a few house rules that I need to go over with you. Everyday, except on the weekends, we have morning gathering at 8:30 AM and midday gathering at 12:30 PM. We all sit down here in the ancestral room for an hour, and talk more about ourselves and our abilities. I do give private lessons to help you identify your powers as well. But, you can schedule those lessons on your own time. All you have to do is come to me for guidance.”

Queenie rolled her eyes. However, this wasn’t new to Cordelia. Her students thought she was only teaching them to suppress their abilities but that wasn’t the case. Salem witches were nearly on the verge of extinction. She was willing to do whatever it took to protect her students and prevent more witches from senseless deaths.

The headmistress went on with her lecture. “There is no specific schedule here, besides our gatherings. You are free to plan your own meals, but breakfast is prepared at 7:30 AM, Lunch is at 11:30 AM, and dinner is at 7:00 PM if you wish to partake. If you have anything specific you want prepared, or would like a snack with some tea, feel free to ask for Spalding. You are also able to go out at your leisure. However, if you are staying out later than 11:45 PM please text me ASAP. That’s pretty much all you need to know. Do you have any questions about some of the house rules?”

“No, I think I got most of it.” Leona said honestly.

“Alright then, that will be all for today. Class dismissed.”

After the gathering was finished for the day, everyone scattered about the house to do their own thing. Leona was about to go back to her room, before Cordelia placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry if my students’ brashness made you feel uncomfortable. Because of her clairvoyance, Nan has a bad habit of blurting out people’s thoughts without their consent. However, she’s been working on it. Madison and Queenie have been going at it since the moment they got here. But at heart, they really are good students and making great progress.”

The young witch figured that she was only trying to cover for their behavior. Honestly, This woman was a saint for putting up with three rowdy teenagers for so long. And rowdy teenagers with powers no less! It couldn’t have been easy for the young headmistress.

“It’s cool. I mean, being teenagers and witches on top of that, it must have been difficult for all of them growing up. I may not know their stories now, but I understand what they must be going through since I’ve been where they're at.”

Cordelia smiled. Her old friend did mention that Leona was a very sweet and understanding girl. It was good to know that she was right.

“I’m glad you’re empathetic about their situations. But remember Leo, this place is your safe haven as well as your new home. No one has the right to make you feel scared or uncomfortable here. I may not be your Aunt Darcey, but I hope I will become a mentor to you in time. I really do think you'll learn to like it here.”

“I’ll remember that Ms. Cordelia, thank you.” Leona said with a smile.

“You’re very welcome, Leona. Now, I’m sure you must be tired after your long trip. Why don’t you get some rest before supper?”

Now that Leona thought about it, she was feeling pretty exhausted. After that long train ride and less-than graceful introduction, she could use a well deserved nap.

“I may just do that.” She said with a yawn.

“Very good. If you need anything, I’ll be in the greenhouse.”

The two women parted ways as Leona dragged her legs upstairs to her room. The moment she opened the door, she kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the bed. However, she wouldn’t be able to sleep in her new environment this way. She needed some music. She took her smartphone off the nightstand and plugged in her earbuds. Leona picked out some relaxing tunes from her playlist and just let the music lull her straight into dreamland.

* * *

Leona woke up to the sound of a loud knocking on her door. Quickly, she got out of bed to see who it was. To her shock, it was Spalding just standing in the doorway. It wasn’t his fault, but damn, he was really creepy… 

“Oh! Is it dinner time already?” 

She checked her phone and it read 7:05. Leona immediately went to take her nap at around 1:30. 

‘_ I must have been more tired than I thought.’ _

“Ah, so it is… um, I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes.”

The gangly servant nodded then headed downstairs. She figured that dinner would be pretty informal, so she just decided to stay in the clothes she slept in and just brush her hair. After Leona did a once over on her appearance, she rushed down the stairs and into the dining room.

She was greeted with only three of the students.

“Good evening everyone.” Leona said shyly.

She only got a few curt responses from Queenie and Nan. Madison didn’t even acknowledge Leona was there and just kept scrolling down her smartphone. The young witch decided to sit in the empty chair next to the blonde and across from Queenie. 

Spalding set down a bowl of consommé soup for her. “Thank you, Spalding.” 

For a dining room meant to serve a dozen people, it sure seemed empty with just the four of them sitting at the table. Speaking of which, Cordelia should have showed up for dinner too.

Out of curiosity Leona asked, “Is Ms. Cordelia not joining us tonight?”

“She only eats with us on rare occasions these days.” said Queenie. “She actually hasn’t been feeling too good lately.”

“Really?” Leona didn’t know that the headmistress was ill. She seemed fine that afternoon. A little pale perhaps, but she didn’t indicate that she was feeling unwell.

“I hope she’s alright. Is it a chronic condition?”

“Fertility treatments.” Nan blurted out. “She and her husband have been trying for a baby for a while.”

Leona knew that her new mentor was married. However, she hadn’t seen any sign of him all day. On the other hand, she had been sleeping in her room for half of the day. “Oh… Is he around? I haven’t had the chance to say hello yet.”

“He’s out of town for a job.” Queenie said. “He won’t be back for another few weeks from what I heard.”

“Ugh! Enough about Cordelia and her baby issues already! That’s yesterday’s news!”

Madison turned her head towards Leona. “New Girl, you still haven’t told us what you did to get into this place. So, are you gonna dish or what?”

Leona was really starting to get irritated with this stuck up brat. Madison really wasn’t going to let this go wasn’t she? Not wanting to lose her cool, she took a deep breath and looked at her provoker in the eye.

“It’s exactly like what Ms. Cordelia said this afternoon. I was brought here for my own protection because of my new eyes.”

The blonde witch wasn’t buying that. “Please, that can’t be the only reason why. I mean, yeah, the eyes of the gods are a big deal. But, you and your family could have kept quiet about those eyes and no one would know. Clearly you did something bad enough that you had to be dragged down here. So, come on, spill it. What’d ya do?”

Annoyed, Queenie slammed her hand on the table. “Bitch, did you not hear her? Besides, she clearly doesn’t want to talk about it!”

“Oh come on, Queenie! I know you’re just as curious as the rest of us! Besides, Cordelia isn’t here and she’s going to have to fess up eventually-”

“Her father…”

The room immediately went quiet after Nan spoke up. The only sound was the spoon that Leona dropped into her soup. Her blood had completely drained from her face. She started shaking and felt like she was going to be sick. A twisted smile began to form on Madison’s face.

“Wait… did you kill your dad?”

Queenie sighed as she facepalmed. “I swear, it’s like talking to a fucking brick wall…”

“I…” Leona sputtered. “I didn’t mean to-”

“But you did…” said Nan. “you wanted him gone.”

She couldn’t believe this was happening. Her Aunt told her that things would be different here! Leona felt like she was going to have a panic attack and these girls didn’t even care. Why did they feel the need to pick on her like this? After such a shitty week, she really didn’t need this on her first night at the academy.

However, Madison continued to find her biggest secret very amusing. “Wow! Who would have thought we would finally get a witch with daddy issues in this place. Hahaha!”

Finally having enough, she loudly stood up from her chair. Tears were starting to form at the corners of Leona’s eyes.

Madison was surprised. “Geeze Leo, no need to get your panties in a bunch.”

“Why…” Leona whispered. “Why is it that people want to butt into my personal life all of a sudden!? Do you think I want this kind of attention? Because I don’t!”

Her anger was starting to freak the girls out. “Jesus, can’t you take a joke?”

However, Leona couldn’t even hear Madison anymore. “I never asked to be a witch, you know. I never wanted to come to this place. Hell, I never even asked for these fucking eyes! Ms. Snow said that I would be surrounded by a community who would understand how I feel. I guess… it was all just a lie.”

After a brief moment of silence, Leona pushed her chair in and headed back upstairs to her room. 

Queenie tried to stop her. “Leona, wait-”

“Tell Spalding I lost my appetite…”

She was already down the hall before the concerned witch could catch up to her. Leona slammed the door and locked it. The sad and anxious girl grabbed her phone and immediately dialed for her Aunt Darcey. 

‘_What the hell was she thinking!?’ _Leona thought. ‘_Did she really think keeping me here with a group of insensitive teenagers would really be a safe haven for me? Fat chance!’ _

The phone kept ringing for a few more minutes, but then someone on the other line finally managed to pick up.

“Hey, Leo!” Her aunt called excitedly. “I was actually gonna call you just now. So, what do you think of the place-”

“I want to go home.” Leona said, cutting her aunt off.

“What?” Aunt Darcey did not expect this kind of answer at all.

“I don’t like it here, Auntie. I want to go back home to Vermont.”

Her aunt sighed on the other end of the line. “What happened?”

“Why do they want to know so badly of what I did to dad?! Why can’t they respect that I just don’t want to talk about it!?”

Darcey was thrown aback by Leona’s fit. She clearly told Cordelia to respect whatever wishes her niece may have! “Did Cordelia start pushing for answers?”

“Well, no.” She said more calmly. “She did ask about my father at first, but I told her I wasn’t ready and she respected my decision. It’s her students that are the problem. They’re the ones who kept pressing me for answers.”

“Ah, now I see… Seriously, do teenagers have nothing better to do these days? Did you tell them about what happened to your father? That it was all just an accident and that you didn't know what you were doing?”

“I tried... but one the girls who's clairvoyant said that I really wanted to do it. That I actually wanted my own father dead... And then this other witch, Madison I think her name was, just found the whole thing amusing. After that, I had a breakdown and ran back to my room.”

“Shit..." Darcey suspected something like this would happen eventually, but not on the first fucking day! "Yeah, Delia told me her students were problem children. I did suspect the clairvoyant and the actress would cause problems for you. But, I didn't suspect it would happen so soon... Delia also mentioned having a third student. Did she say anything to you?"

"I think she tried to calm me down and bring me back to the table." Leona said honestly. "But I was too upset to listen to her."

"I see... okay, so, your first day in New Orleans was off to a bit of a rocky start." Her aunt really didn't know what to say. Darcey hated that her beloved niece was having such a difficult time, but she didn't have much of a choice. "However, I still think we made the right decision for you to stay at the Academy. You'll be under the protection of the coven, but you'll still have your independence. I know your struggling to adjust right now, but after a week it will feel like home." 

Her niece was getting really tired the excuses. “But this place isn't home, Auntie! Like I told Myrtle, I said I would keep my mouth shut!”

“I understand, but the thing is, the gossip has been spreading around like butter on toast. Some of the neighbors and your father's old co-workers are still buying the official report. But, you know how nosy these bored, suburban housewives can be, right?”

“I guess… But, I don’t know why I can’t just stay with you?”

“People in this neighborhood say enough about me as it is. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble because of me.”

Leona scoffed. “Sounds like you got it backwards.”

“You know what I mean, Leona. Besides, I’ll be staying with your mom and brother for a little bit to take care of them and to deter the gossip away. But after that, I'll be busy traveling over the next few months preparing for the fall show.”

“I could be your assistant.” Leona was desperate to get out. Being in a house with bratty teens was a less-than-ideal living environment for her.

“I know you could, Sweetie.” Said Darcey lovingly. “But even so, we need to play it safe until this whole thing with your father blows over. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but you do understand why we can't let you go back to Vermont yet, don't you?”

Leona sighed. “I do… and I guess I could learn to adapt.”

“That’s my girl. And on the bright side, I’ll be stopping by in a week to check up on you and to bring the rest of your stuff. We can talk more then, okay?”

“Yeah...”

“Great!” Darcey said. “Shoot! I gotta run. I’ll see you in a week, Leo.”

“See you then, Auntie. I love you.”

“Love you too. Oh! And Leo?”

“Yes?” She asked.

“Try not to let what those girls say get to you. They may act like this now, but they really do understand what you’re going through. Just give them some time to get to know you and things will fall into place.”

“Of course. Take care, Aunt Darcey.”

“You too, Sweetie. Ciao!” And with that, her aunt hung up.

Leona laid back in her bed with her phone clutched to her chest. She did try to think her aunt and mother really did have her best interest at heart. However, she hated that she was being treated like a little kid in all of this. Even though she had just turned twenty-one, they still thought she was “too young” to handle this situation by herself. Then again, Leona never really had that much independence in her life. It’s true, she did work a few part time jobs back at home, but after a few months, her father would always make her quit. On top of that, she didn’t even move into the dorms since the campus was only a fifteen minute drive from her neighborhood.

But now that she was in New Orleans maybe things could be different? Yes, she was under supervision by Cordelia. However, as long as she followed the house rules and attended the morning and afternoon gatherings, she was technically a free woman. Perhaps things would blow over in a couple of months and she’d be able to return home. At least, that’s what she hoped for. But really… well who knows?

Leona took out her digital camera from her bedside drawer and looked over her pictures. While a lot of them were mostly nature pics, she kept a few special moments with her family in their. As she looked over the ones with her mom and brother, she couldn’t stop thinking about them. She knew she would have to call them soon, but things just felt so awkward. Michael definitely didn’t want his sister to leave, but unfortunately he didn’t have a say in the matter. Leona hoped that she never meant to leave him on purpose. Perhaps, it was for the best to be separated from her family. Honestly, she didn't know what to think anymore.

She stopped at a picture of her and her aunt at their last family barbecue. Both of them with glasses of wine in their hands and smiling like fools.

Leona sighed as she turned off her camera. “I really do hope you know what you’re doing, Auntie.”

She put on her favorite playlist again, desperate to fall into a dreamless sleep and wanting to forget the whole day ever happened.


	3. Chapter 3

“So much for hoping for a peaceful sleep.” Leona says as she takes out her earbuds.

After her playlist had gone through all of her favorite songs, Leona just kept staring at the ceiling for hours. She couldn’t stop thinking about what’s happened thus far. First, encountering that monster that fucked up her and her brother’s eyes. Second, the incident involving her father. Third, being taken away from her own home by these albino men in black suits and Myrtle Snow. Fourth was the two day, train ride with only the redhead as her traveling companion. Third, her less than graceful introduction to her new life at the academy and meeting her “sister witches”. And Lastly, her emotional meltdown in front of said “sister witches”. Going through all of the events in her head, she realized that any hope of maintaining a normal life was all but gone. 

Even though Leona’s life was not exactly normal to begin with, she did try to act normal when she wasn’t with her aunt. But still, she wished she could go back to the life she had with Michael and her mother. Leona wanted it so badly it hurt. More than anything, she desperately wanted to give her brother back his eyesight. The guilt of her doing nothing to prevent him from sacrificing his sight weighed heavily on her heart. There had to be something she could do to give back the eyes of the gods? However, she knew going back to Hellsalem’s Lot was out of the question. It wasn’t that Leona was afraid to go back there. But, she knew that her aunt would forbid her from leaving New Orleans.

There weren’t any other options that Leona could think of. She knew if she tried to leave, Darcey would have Ms. Snow’s men drag her back to the academy. Leona did love her aunt dearly, but even she found her overprotective nature tiring. Actually, she found the restrictive laws of the coven to be a huge pain. Now that the human and alter worlds are connected through Hellsalem’s Lot, they shouldn’t have to worry about hiding anymore! If it wasn’t for the castors, the whole world would have perished! But then again, Darcey and Cordelia had a point. A lot of people on the outside did not take the Great Collapse of New York well. Even though it’s been three years since the apocalyptic event happened, people outside the fog shrouded city were still living in fear and ignorance. Despite the brave deeds of the castors, they weren’t given much fanfare outside Hellsalem’s Lot. In fact, castors who were on the outside lived in isolation out of fear of those who didn’t understand them. Aunt Darcey was right. Witches on the outside were at risk more than they’ve ever been.

For the time being, Leona had no choice but to stay in New Orleans. She hoped that things would eventually get better and she could call the coven her home. However with Madison and Nan living there, that seemed like too much of a stretch. Queenie seemed pretty okay, but even she was a bit hard to figure out. But still, Leona supposed it was probably for the best to make the most of her new living situation. She did have this beautiful room and she was staying in a very interesting city. It may not be as interesting as the relatively new Hellsalem’s Lot, but historically New Orleans is a fascinating place. And since it’s the weekend, she had all the time she needed to explore her new surroundings. 

“What could go wrong?”

_ Grrrooawwwwllll…. _

“Except that.” Leona groaned.

Now that she thought about it, she really didn’t have much to eat that day. All Leona had was a light breakfast on the train and a few sips of the consommé at dinner. Other than that, she was running on empty. Leona knew that she would never get to sleep with her stomach rumbling the rest of the night. She figured a sandwich with some chips would be satisfying enough until breakfast. After getting out of bed and putting on her slippers, she walked quietly down the stairs and made her way into the kitchen. Since it was two in the morning, there was no doubt in her mind that everyone was asleep. As long as Leona was quiet, nobody would be disturbed by her late night excursion.

However, right when she entered the kitchen, the refrigerator door was wide open with someone getting a late night snack of their own. It would seem Leona wasn’t the only one feeling hungry that night. Not wanting to interrupt them, she decided to wait until they were finished. But when she took a step back, her heel landed on a loose floorboard. It let out a loud squeak and it startled both Leona and her fellow two AM snacker. To her surprise, The face that popped up behind the refrigerator door was actually Queenie.

“Who’s there?” The plus-sized witch whispered. 

Not knowing where to go, Leona stood awkwardly in her place. ‘_Busted…’ _She thought to herself.

When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Queenie was able to recognize her intruder. “Oh, it’s you.” She closed the door and crossed her arms over her chest. Leona guessed she probably came at a bad time.

“What are you doing in here?” Queenie asked authoritatively

Leona twiddled her thumbs. She didn’t mean to interrupt her neighbor. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be down here. It’s just that-”

_ Grrrooowwlll…... _

However, before she could get a word in edgewise, her stomach decided to answer for her. Queenie stared at Leona’s middle and chuckled. “Well that explains everything.”

Embarrassed, she covered her tummy with her hands. It didn’t help to keep it quiet. “I didn’t have much to eat yesterday.” Leona said sheepishly.

“Yeah, no shit, considering you only had a few spoonfuls of soup at dinner.” Queenie was certainly a blunt witch. However, Leona admired that trait. To a degree at least. 

“Did you come down for something to eat too?” The new witch asked.

“Hmph, unfortunately for the both of us, there’s nothing worth eating in that fridge.”

“I thought Cordelia said you guys went out and got groceries?”

“Didn’t say we got anything good. Welp, there’s only one thing to do at a time like this.”

The large witch walked out of the kitchen. But she turned around when Leona was still standing there like a confused deer in headlights. 

“Well, you coming or what?” Queenie asked impatiently.

“Oh! Um, coming!”

Honestly, Leona wondered if she was making the right choice following her. She really didn’t know Queenie well enough yet. And after that display at dinnertime, Leona didn’t blame her if she didn’t want to associate with her. But before she could even think about going back to her room, the two witches were already out the door. Around the back there were two cars. One was Cordelia’s, obviously. But the other was a minivan meant for the girl’s use. When they got in the car, Leona was getting nervous. Queenie only asked if she was coming, but didn’t say where their destination was.

“Um… Where are we going?” she asked.

Queenie smirked. “You’ll see…”

Once they were out of the driveway, the two of them were off to God knows where. This was starting to stress Leona out. She really hoped this wasn’t some kind of hazing prank. After the horrendous first day she had, that was the last thing she needed. However, after ten nerve wracking minutes of driving, the pair finally got to their destination. To her amazement and pleasure, this was a building that Leona knew very well. It was a Jack & Rockets burger joint.

“You up for some burgers and fries, Leo?” Queenie asked.

This really was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps Queenie was different from Nan and Madison? 

The new witch smiled brightly and said, “Yeah, totally!” 

They got up to the drive through and looked over the menu. It didn’t take long to know what they both wanted.

“Welcome to Jack & Rockets. May I take your order?” Said the cashier.

“Yeah, we’ll have two Jack Cheese Rocket Burgers, two large fries and two large diet Peps, please?”

“Do you want to supersize your order for a $1.99 extra?” asked the cashier.

Queenie gave Leona a daring look. “You game?”

She didn’t even have to ask. “Let’s do it!”

Once the girls finally got their food, they parked the car in the back of the restaurant. The two witches didn’t waste any time digging into their late night snack. Leona was practically having an orgasm after she took the first bite of her burger.

“Mmmmm! Good God, I needed this! After the hectic week I’ve had, I haven’t had time for my number one comfort food.”

Queenie chuckled. “Figured as much. Me, I’ve been craving a Jack & Rocket burger all day!”

“But, I don’t understand.” Leona said as she swallowed her food. “Why did you offer to let me come with you?”

Her late night companion put her food in her lap. “I guess… this is my way of apologizing to you. We haven’t had a new witch in a while and we just wanted to mess with you. But I have to admit, we may have taken things too far. We tend to forget that every witch’s situation is different from our own. You weren’t comfortable with talking about yourself and we just treated you like shit. That wasn't right. So, can we start over?”

The plus-sized witch held out her hand to Leona. She was really touched. Unlike her fellow students, Queenie was putting in the effort to make her new sister witch feel welcome. Maybe, the coven wasn’t so bad after all.

Leona smiled and grabbed Queenie’s hand in a hearty handshake. “I’d like that very much, Queenie. Thanks.”

“Sweet. Oh and, try not take what Nan said too personally. She just doesn’t know when to shut her yap in certain situations. Trust me, I’ve been trying to keep that girl out of my head since I got here. But deep down, she really isn’t a bad person.”

Leona looked down at her burger and gripped the wrapping paper. What the clairvoyant said still made her feel uneasy. She felt that if she didn’t clear this up, then the rest of the witches would never fully grasp her situation.

“Well, she wasn’t entirely wrong…”

Queenie stared at her with a skeptical look in her eye. “What do you mean?”

“Nan was only half right. Yes, I did hate my father and yes, I did want him to go away. But I never, EVER wished for him to die. You understand, don’t you Queenie?”

Her companion was quiet for a minute. It looked like she was contemplating on whether or not to trust Leona’s words. She really hoped Queenie wouldn’t write her off after what she said. But after the awkward silence had passed, Queenie simply nodded her head.

“Yeah, I get it. I mean, wanting someone gone and wishing them to drop dead don’t always mean the same thing, right? Besides, you don’t seem like the kind of girl who would go on a random killing spree.”

Leona sighed in relief. “Thanks, Queenie. I think you and Cordelia are the only ones here who understand my condition.”

“Heh! Believe me, after what happened at dinner, there’s no doubt that Nan and Madison get the picture now.”

She started to blush. Leona still felt embarrassed over what happened during the evening meal. “I’m really sorry about that. I may have been a little too sensitive.”

“Nah, we were just being bitches. Plain and simple. You don’t have to apologize for anything, girl.”

“I’d like to believe Nan will think twice before blathering about my personal life. But, what about Madison?” Leona felt like she had to ask. She thought that Nan could be a potential ally once she got to know her better. But Madison Montgomery was a different story.

Queenie just snorted. “I wouldn’t count on it, Leo. I’ve only been in New Orleans for a few years, but as you can already tell, we’re not exactly besties.”

“She’s really that bad, huh?” The shapeshifter frowned.

“Madison is a stone cold bitch who only loves herself, big dicks and getting wasted. That’s pretty much all there is to her.”

Queenie really didn’t hold herself back. Leona suspected this was the case. However, she didn’t want to believe that Madison was a completely rotten human being. Maybe deep down, she was just as insecure and frightened of what she’s capable of just like Leona, Queenie and Nan. Perhaps all Madison needed was to be shown a little kindness and someone to lend an ear. Besides, they’re all witches. Instead of arguing and fighting, they should learn to have each other’s backs. However, Leona felt she may be asking for too much. She was still new to the academy. It was for the best to take one step at a time.

“You’re probably right.” Said Leona. “Still, it wouldn’t hurt to at least try to get along with Madison. We are living under the same roof after all.”

“Knock yourself out. But, proceed with caution okay? You’re a nice girl, Leo and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt because of her.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Queenie.”

Her new friend smiled as she finished off the rest of her burger. Once she set the wrapper aside, Queenie looked at Leona with a cheeky grin on her face.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, wanna show me your main power?”

Leona looked at her with a confused look. “Main power?”

“Well, a lot of us has an ability that we’re especially good at. Some of these gifts are uncommon, while some of them are one of the seven wonders. At least, that’s what Cordelia told us anyway.”

“Do you have a power that’s all your own?” Leona asked out of curiosity.

“I’ll show ya.”

Queenie rolled up her sleeve, leaving her right forearm exposed. She began to pinch her skin hard. It looked like it hurt. But all of a sudden, Leona felt a sharp pain in her own arm.

“Ow! Ow, ow ow! What the?! How did you do that?”

She chuckled as she rolled her sleeve down. “I’m a human voodoo doll. Any pain that’s inflicted on me, is transferred to another person.”

That truly was an impressive power! “Incredible! And only you can do that?”

“Yep! I’ve found out that I’m an heir to Tituba. She practiced voodoo before she became a house slave in Salem. She was also the first to be accused of witchcraft during the trials. Technically, I’m a half breed of the voodoo and Salem tribes.”

“That’s amazing! I mean, the only witch I’ve ever known was my aunt and I always thought she was the coolest witch in the universe. But still, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a witch outside my family doing magic! Not only that a witch who is capable of doing both witch and voodoo magic! This is so cool!”

Queenie felt her face getting hot. For most of her life, she was punished for having that kind of ability. Heck, she was often reprimanded for it whenever she lashed out at someone who made fun of her weight. However, Leona was different. Instead of feeling intimidated, she was fangirling like a dork about how cool Queenie was. This was so new to the human voodoo doll, she didn’t really know how to feel about it.

Wanting the weird feeling to go away, she turned back to Leona. “Well, I showed you my power. Care to show me what you can do?”

Leona was a little nervous about that. The only people who knew about her transfiguration ability was her mom, brother and of course, Darcey. And after what happened to her father, she had no desire to use that other power ever again. However, since she was among her sister witch, showing Queenie her accomplished ability wouldn’t hurt.

“Okay, here I go…”

She closed her eyes. Leona focused her mind into what shape she wished to take. Soon enough, her body began to change into a different person. Queenie’s eyes began to bug out of her skull the moment Leona began to change. However, the girl sitting next to her, wasn’t Leona anymore… It was uncanny! It was like looking into a mirror! Leona transformed herself into Queenie!

“Holy shit…” the flabbergasted witch whispered. “I’ve never seen a witch perform something like this before. This power is very rare. Does it run in your family?”

“Yes.” She even sounded like Queenie!

Not wanting to freak her new friend out more than she had, she changed back into her original form. “According to my Aunt Darcey, every single witch in our family was a shapeshifter.”

“No kidding? You mention your aunt a lot. Was she, like, your mentor or something?”

The maroon headed witch beamed when she mentioned her aunt. “Indeed she was! When my powers first emerged when I turned thirteen, she took me under her wing. Taught me everything she knew about our family’s history and how to perfect my ability. She's kinda been a second mother to me over the years. I love auntie, she’s so awesome!”

Despite how cute Leona was as she praised her aunt, Queenie was getting a little jealous of her. Cordelia was nice and all, but she was rather weak-willed both as a teacher and a witch. And while she did go to her for advice from time to time, Queenie knew that Cordelia was just as clueless about her powers as she was. It would be nice to have that kind of special mentor/pupil bond like Leo had with her Aunt Darcey.

“I gotta say, you’re pretty lucky.” Queenie said sadly.

Leona almost took it as a joke. After everything she went through, she wouldn’t exactly call herself lucky.

Not wanting to offend Queenie, she asked out of curiosity. “Why do you say that?”

“I’ve never really had anyone in my life who would understand me or my abilities. Maybe it’s my fault since I do tend to keep people at arms length. I don’t know. But after dragging my ass here to New Orleans, I wonder if I really do belong in the coven.”

“Really? You seem to be friends with Nan. Sort of.”

Queenie huffed. “You’re kind of right. But even she gets on my nerves when she goes inside my head without permission. No, I’m talking about a more emotional connection. Like the one you have with your Aunt. But each time I try, I always end up lashing out or vice versa. Plus, being the only black girl in the academy doesn’t make things any easier.”

Leona began to empathize with the human voodoo doll. While her situation was different from Queenie’s, she knew what it’s like to be a fish out of water.

“Queenie, I… I know how you feel.”

The plus sized witch was skeptical. “How so?”

“It’s true, I do love my Aunt Darcey a lot. But, even she doesn’t entirely understand me. Even though I’m twenty-one now, she’s still treating me like a child. It gets pretty old. Plus, growing up with a narcissistic father doesn’t exactly do wonders for your self esteem. Heck, the closest thing I have to a best friend is my brother, Michael.”

“Wow… Not even a boyfriend?”

Leona chuckled bitterly. “Especially not a boyfriend. Well, there was this one guy I had a crush on that I asked to the senior prom. He did accept my proposal, but… it didn’t work out. Trust me, that’s a whole other emotional can of worms you don’t want to get into.”

“Yikes… perhaps you and I aren’t so different after all.”

“Exactly. Plus, even if the other girls won’t try to understand you, I will.”

“Honestly…” Queenie started. “I don’t know why you want to bother with me. I’m not the easiest to get along with. Besides, I also bugged you about your eyes today, remember?”

Leona twirled a French fry in between her fingers, trying to come up with the answer. “I’m not gonna lie, Queenie… this past week was absolute shit. My brother is blind because of me. And while I’m stuck here there’s nothing I can do to help him. On top of that, I have a new frightening power I don’t know how to control and know absolutely nothing about. And I was dragged to a city I've never been to before, surrounded by strangers. Its true, Madison and Nan did hurt my feelings and I really did want to go back to Vermont after that. But you… you went out of your way to take me out for burgers and fries to make me feel more at home here. It may seem insignificant to you, but… I needed this act of kindness. So really, thanks again, Queenie.

Her new friend was left speechless. Throughout her life, Queenie was never given any amount of respect. In the eyes of her peers and former co-workers she was as insignificant as an ant. But, here she was. Being thanked for her kindness and being praised for her powers. And all over something as simple as a few burgers. How the hell did that happen?

In the end Queenie smiled and said, “You know, for a spazzy white chick, you’re pretty cool yourself.”

Leona chuckled. “I’ll take that as a complement.”

“Welp, I don’t know about you, but that burger is starting to give me a food coma. Wanna head back?”

Leona checked the clock on the dashboard. It was already 3:30! They’ve been out there for that longer than she had thought.

“Yeah, we should go. We don’t want Cordelia to find out that we’re gone.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this a bunch of times and she’s never caught me once.”

Soon enough, The two young witches got out of the restaurant parking lot and back to the school. It only took them fifteen minutes to get there. Once Queenie parked the car in the back, they quietly got inside the house and to their respective rooms.

But before They went back to bed, Leona thanked her again for the late night snack. “I had a lot of fun tonight. Next time I’ll treat you to some late night pizza.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Goodnight, Leo.”

“Night, Queenie.”

Leona went to her room and quickly got into bed. Thanks to the heavy meal, she was finally able to drift off to sleep. But this time, she was happy. With people like Queenie in the coven, maybe New Orleans wouldn’t be so bad after all. The young witch closed her eyes. Excited for what the day would bring.


	4. Chapter 4

As the sun began to shine through the gossamer curtains and on Leona’s face, she turned her head slowly and opened her eyes. When she reached for her phone, she was surprised it was only 8:30 AM. Considering her lack of sleep and her little adventure with Queenie, Leona thought she would have slept in a little longer. However, she felt completely rested! Was it the late night hamburgers or her heart to heart with Queenie? She didn’t know. Being more bright eyed and bushy tailed than she had anticipated, she figured she might as well get up and get ready for the day.

Since it was the weekend, Leona wanted to use this time to do some much needed sightseeing. This was her first time in New Orleans and she wanted to see everything the city had to offer. She went out onto the balcony to check the weather and it was absolutely gorgeous. Nice and warm for the unofficial start of summer. A perfect day for a tour of the Big Easy! 

Leona went to her bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. She put on a navy blue tank top, a light cardigan sweater, a pair of jean shorts, black thigh-high stockings, and some comfortable sneakers. Good thing too, since she figured she would be doing a lot of walking that day. After brushing her hair and doing a once over at the mirror, Leona was ready to head out. But before she wanted to start her walking tour, she thought it was best to grab a quick breakfast first. Also, she needed to check in with Cordelia before she headed out too. The headmistress was pretty adamant about keeping in contact with her if she was going out by herself. She found this to be a minor annoyance because of her age. However, since life for a witch is filled with uncertainty, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Once Leona locked up her room, she quickly went downstairs and then straight to the kitchen. The halls were oddly quiet. Considering it was already mid-morning, she thought everyone would be up by now. On the other hand, it was a Saturday. Her sister witches were probably sleeping in some more. When she entered the kitchen she was surprised to see at least one of the residents up and about. Unsurprisingly, it was Cordelia. The headmistress was dressed in a silk white bathrobe, pouring herself a cup of tea. She had a faint smell of water lilies about her. Leona knew Cordelia was a beautiful woman when she met her the day before, but she looked very radiant in the morning. For someone suffering from fertility troubles, she certainly did a decent job at hiding that sad fact.

The teacher turned around to find Leona standing in the archway. She smiled and went to the breakfast nook and sat herself down.

“Good morning, Leona. Did you sleep well last night?”

Realizing she hasn’t snapped out of her trance, Leona lightly shook her head and blushed. “Oh! Yes, yes I did. The room is very comfortable.”

“That’s good to hear. Please, take whatever you like from the counter. Judging by your attire, I’m guessing you’ll be heading out soon?”

Leona went to grab a pastry and a fruit, then sat down across from her teacher. “Yeah, I wanted to take a tour of New Orleans today. Is that alright?”

“Of course, that’s perfectly fine. It’s just…” Cordelia seemed a little hesitant for some reason. 

“Is something wrong?” She asked.

“No, no! Like I said it’s fine. It’s just that I would feel more at ease if you had one of the girls accompany you. But, since you are the eldest of my girls, I’m probably worrying too much. Just keep in touch with me if you’re going to come home late, okay?”

Leona was a bit miffed. She knew that Cordelia meant well but she really didn’t like to be treated as a teenager with a curfew. And when the headmistress said the word “home”, it just made her feel uneasy. This place didn’t exactly feel like home. Well, Queenie being there would certainly help keep her sane during her indefinite stay. However, with Nan and Madison pushing her buttons like that, it reminded her of all those days during high school when Leona wished graduation would just come already.

Swallowing her annoyance, Leona took a deep breath and smiled. “Sure, that won’t be a problem.”

“Excellent.” She said as she sipped her tea. “Oh, and one other thing before you go. It’s about what happened at dinner last night.”

Leona felt her stomach drop. She nervously swirled her spoon in her coffee cup, trying hard not to make eye contact. “Ah… you heard that, huh?”

“Not in so many words. But, I had a pretty good idea on what it was about. I tried asking what happened but… no one was willing to come forward. I’m sorry you’re first night got off to a bad start Leona, I really am. But don’t worry, I already gave them a stern talking to.”

“You have?” Leona was surprised.

“I did. I simply told them they all knew what it’s like to be your shoes and they should do their part to help you feel welcome. I’m sure their attitudes will change by now.”

What the headmistress's made Leona’s head fill with doubt. She wondered if Queenie really did intend to make peace with her of her own accord? Or did she do it because Cordelia guilt tripped her into making nice with the new witch? Queenie did seem genuinely sorry for her and her sister witches behavior at dinner. But, what if it was just a one time thing and would just continue to apathetic towards her like she did during introductions? Even though Cordelia was trying to help Leona feel better with comforting words, she was only making her feel more confused and anxious than she needed to be. She wanted to get out of that house as soon as possible. Leona decided to continue to trust Queenie. She did owe her new friend a late night pizza run, it was the least she could do.

“I see… But, that’s good! Thanks, that’ll be a big help. Well, I don’t want to waste anymore daylight just sitting here. I should get going to avoid the crowds. I’ll be back by around six, I think.”

“Oh! Then please, don’t let me keep you. Remember, if you’re going to be late, just let me know ahead of time. Have fun and be careful out there.”

Leona gave her a lackluster smile. Still, feeling troubled by what Cordelia told her. “Right… But, do you have a suggestion on where I should go first?”

“Hmm… I highly recommend visiting the French Quarter first. There are plenty of shops, restaurants and historical sights that you might be interested in.”

“Sweet! I guess that’s where I’m headed. Well, See ya later!”

Before Cordelia could say her goodbyes, Leona rushed out the front door. She thought she would never leave! Despite claiming that the academy would become her home in time, Darcey forgot to mention about Cordelia having an overprotective nature. But then again, Darcey was kind of the same way. No wonder those two got along so well. However, Leona was free from those hallowed halls until the evening! Not wanting to waste anymore time, she began to walk to her first destination. But before she could get away from the property, Leona couldn’t help but feel that someone was watching her. She looked up at the house and saw Nan on the balcony. The clairvoyant was just… watching her. Feeling unnerved, she ran as far away from that place as quickly as possible.

‘_Seriously, what’s that girl’s damage?!’ _She thought to herself.

It was bad enough Nan blurted out the incident with her dad, so now she decided to be her personal stalker? Despite being on edge, Leona didn’t want to upset herself anymore than she had. She figured it was to ignore it and just enjoy the day like she planned. On the other hand, Leona dreaded the fact she would eventually have to go back. 

‘_Maybe I should stay out later than six…’ _

* * *

Despite the rough start Leona had that morning, she was having a wonderful time on her tour of the city. Bourbon Street really was a big hotspot in New Orleans. Jazz Bands filled the air with their music and the smells of delicious seafood could be found in every other eatery in the Quarter. Leona splurged a bit on some tasty crawfish when it was time for lunch. She was never a big seafood eater, but she had to admit that it was pretty good. Next time she was in town, she would have to give that shrimp gumbo a try. 

Before she decided to go to her next location, Leona thought it would be cool to go on a tour of the Lalaurie Mansion. Might as well visit a haunted tourist sight or two while she was in the area. It was an interesting tour, but she figured some of the information was exaggerated just to gain more tourists. But, the fact that Madame Delphine LaLaurie was a complete monster in life was all too true. You didn’t even had to go to the museum to figure that out. However, when the tour group went out to the garden, something was… off. Maybe her new eyes were just playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn she saw the aura of a person just six feet under ground. It was located just beneath the fountain. Leona was a bit unnerved by this, but tried to chalk it up to some glitch. There was no way any human could still be alive under that much concrete and rubble. Could they?

After the tour, she decided to head over to Jackson Square. The calm elegance of the park was quite a change of pace after the bustling energy of Bourbon Street. Leona wanted to take a quick break before going on the move again. She bought herself an ice cream and found a nice cool spot in the grass, enjoying her treat she watched the people go by and admired the view of St. Louis Cathedral. It looked more like a fairy tale castle rather than a cathedral. Of course, she managed to take plenty of photos of the square and the cathedral. Leona thought about going in for a tour, but she wanted to move on to her next spot. She could always do it another time. After finishing her ice cream, she got her stuff together and got on a bus headed a little further out of the city. If Leona knew one thing, you can’t visit Louisiana without visiting the bayous!

* * *

“Stupid mosquitoes!” Leona yelled as she slapped another of those pests off of her shoulder. “Damnit, I knew I should have packed a bug spray. What’s worse, I think I’m officially lost.”

When Leona got to the swamps stayed on the walkways to help guide her through the area. She decided to go off the path to take some better pictures of the forests near the river. However, the witch somehow got lost and was having a difficult time trying to find her way back. The bayou forests were like a maze. She tried to use her phone to find her way back, but the reception wasn’t good. This was making Leona feel very anxious. It was almost evening and she only had half full water bottle. Her feet were getting sore and it was hotter than hell in those swamps. The tour was was fun at first, but now all she wanted to do was go back to the academy and take a cool shower.

However, before Leona started to panic, she came across a clearing. Not only that, it looked like a camp had been set up there. The young witch let out a sigh of relief. Someone had to know the layout of the swamp to help her get back on the trail. She walked at a brisk pace to the clearing. But when she got a closer look, it didn’t look like your typical your typical campsite. Dead alligators were strung up on the tree branches and a few rifles were scattered on a picnic table. Two scruffy looking men were sitting on their fold out chairs drinking some beers. Judging by their poorly groomed facial hair, and gnarly looking teeth, they didn’t care much for personal hygiene. The icing on the cake was the confederate flag on the man’s baseball hat. These were the kind of people Leona wanted to avoid, rednecks.

Even though their unwelcome appearance already gave her a bad first impression, something in her mind was telling her to get away. It may have been some kind of sixth sense due to her being a witch. But, she knew deep in her bones that these guys were nothing but trouble. Leona backed away slowly to avoid their attention. However, she accidentally stepped on a twig that snapped loudly beneath her heel. 

Now alert, the two men faced the direction of the noise. Their eyes were locked on Leona as she stared back at them like a deer in headlights. They got up from their chairs and walked slowly towards her.

“How can we help ya, missy?” asked the scrawny looking redneck.

Leona backed away slowly. “I, um… I was just passing through.” She tried to control her voice, but she could tell they could sense her unease.

“Looks to me you’re a tad lost.” said the one with the beard. 

They were getting too close now. The smell of alcohol and their rancid body odor nearly made Leona gag. The skinny one was looking a little too hard at her chest. She placed her arms across her breasts to make him stop staring, but it didn’t help.

“No, I just wanted to go off the path to take some pictures. Now that I got what came here for, I was just about to head back.” 

“Now now, there’s no need to be all defensive. Me and Lurve will be more than happy to escort ya back.”

“Yeah, we’ll be nice n’ gentle like…” 

Even though they were acting like gentlemen, Leona could see right through them. They’ve been eyeing her body the entire time. It was clear that they had less than pure intentions and they weren’t going to let her go without a fight. However, Leona wasn’t going to stick around to find out what they had planned for her. she just needed to back away to buy her some time, then she could sprint to build some distance. The fat one with the beard was probably slow, but the skinny one could be a problem. She was in track and field back in highschool for a few years, so she wasn’t a bad runner. She might be able to outrun the skinny redneck and possibly hide. Not only that, she had her pepper spray. Leona was hesitant to use it on a person, but it was her best chance for her to get away safely.

She took a deep breath to try and control the fear in her voice. “It’s okay, I can find the walkway myself.”

“C’mon, unlike these gators, we don’t bite.” The scrawny one said while showing off his yellow teeth.

The redneck’s hand slid up her arm like an eel as his fingers brushed up against the side of her breast. This sent her over the edge. There was no way that he did not intend to do that.

“I said no!” Leona stomped on the skinny man’s foot and elbowed him in the chest. 

She reached into her bag and found the little container of pepper spray. It was aimed directly at both of them. However, because the canister was small and pink, the rednecks just laughed at it. Those idiots really underestimated how powerful that stuff could be.

“Hahaha! Hoo-wee! That’s real cute! But seriously, don’t make this more difficult than it has to be, girly.” The fat redneck was just about to grab her, but Leona pressed the release button just in time. As soon as the spray hit his face he immediately fell to his knees and screamed in bloody agony.

“AAAAHHHHGH!!!! Oh fuck it burns! You stupid cunt!”

While the skinny one went to attend his companion, Leona ran as fast as she could from the campsite. However, after the little stunt she pulled, those rednecks weren’t done with her.

“Don’t just stand there, Lurve! Find the bitch n’ drag her ass back here.”

“Right!”

Leona managed to get at least five start away from their camp. However, because everything in the forest looked the same, she had no idea where she was going! It didn’t matter though. She knew one of those guys would be coming after her soon. She needed as much distance from them as possible. It felt like Leona was running forever. Her legs were starting to get sore and the blisters she had formed on her feet from walking all day didn’t help either. But, she felt she was near a path. All she had to do was keep a brisk pace and she’d be out of those woods. However, she forgot to acknowledge any of the overgrown roots while she was running. Leona accidently tripped and fell over one of the roots. Fortunately, she didn’t twist her ankle. But her left hand and right shin were all scratched up. When she got up she tried to run again, her leg started to sting badly. Her shin felt like it was on fire. Leona had to think fast. That tree had a hollow at the base of it’s trunk. It was small, but it looked like she could squeeze herself in and she could hide long enough for her chaser to give up on her.

Leona sucked in her stomach and crawled her way inside the hole. She settled herself in the far side of the hollow and held her legs against her body. Footsteps could be heard just a few feet away from the tree. She held her hands against her mouth and nose to conceal her breathing. It was difficult, Leona was so scared her breathing and heartbeat were completely erratic. Those rednecks were stupid, but they would probably figure out that a tree hollow would be a perfect spot to hide. On the other hand, he was pretty drunk. He’d probably think she was too big to fit through the hole depending on his perspective.

The man’s feet were right next to the opening. Leona stayed absolutely still, trying not to move a single muscle.

“Dammit… Fuck! Where that fuckin' bitch go!? Aagh! I know you’re out here! You’ve nowhere to hide!”

In his frustration he kicked the side of the bark. It scared her but she didn’t make a sound. Soon enough, Leona heard his footsteps getting further and further away from the tree. She didn’t want to leave that spot until she was 110% sure that her pursuer had given up and gone away.

“You can come out now.”

Leona was shocked to hear another voice near the tree. Only this time, it didn’t sound like one of those rednecks. It sounded like a woman’s. Her southern accent was thick but smooth and very gentle. As much as Leona wanted to trust the voice, she was to scared to leave her hovel. Footsteps came slowly towards the hollow. The stranger kneeled by the entrance of the hole as she held out her hand.

“It’s okay. He ain’t gonna bother you anymore.”

She certainly seemed pretty genuine. Reluctantly, Leona held onto the strangers hand and crawled her way out of the hollow. When she looked at the woman up close, she had long curly hair the color of sunshine. She wore a cream colored sundress and a floral lace shawl around her shoulders. Leona was surprised she was wearing a pair of boots. If she’s been wandering around the forest her feet must have been killing her! But overall, this girl was so pretty, she almost looked like a fairy. She probably wasn’t much older than Leona was.

“You alright, Hun?” She asked with concern.

Leona was still shaken up by what happened. She tried to say something, but the pain in her hand and shin became more intense after the adrenaline rush wore off. The stranger took her hand and got a look at her leg through her torn thigh-high. 

She shook her head and clicked her tongue. “Yeah, that’s gonna get infected if it’s not taken care of. C’mon, I’ve got just the thing that will fix you right up back at my place.”

The curly haired woman tried to take her hand but Leona retracted it quickly. She didn’t even know this girl and she expected her to just follow her to who knows where? The stranger sensed Leona’s unease and tried again to persuade her to come along.

“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt ya. Besides, you’re hurtin’ real bad and you need a place to rest for a little while. The commune I’m stayin’ at isn’t far from here. You’ll feel better in no time, promise.”

As much as Leona wanted to turn her down and just ask for directions to the bus station, she didn’t have the strength to argue. Leona nodded her head and agreed to follow the woman back to her home. She smiled as she placed an arm around Leona’s shoulder to help keep her steady.

“Sweet. The name’s Misty Day in case you’re wondering. What’s yours?”

“Leona Watch.”

* * *

Misty lead the exhausted witch back to her place. She was right when she said it wasn’t that far from the forest. It took them about fifteen minutes on foot to get to her home. Apparently, Misty was a part of a religious commune just outside the city. Leona was a bit nervous once she entered the community. Fortunately, she was only a stranger and no one knew of her status as a witch. But even so, the neighbors were staring at her with great intensity. She supposed that they weren’t too keen on outsiders.

One of the members of the commune saw the two women together and approached them. “Misty, we’re about to evenin’ prayer soon. Who’s your little friend there?”

Leona tried to avoid eye contact and turned to Misty if she could come up with an excuse.

“Sorry Reverend, she got hurt while wondering the bayou. So, I thought I should take her inside and patch her up.”

The leader of the commune eyed the girl’s injured hand and leg through her torn stocking. “That so?” He sighed but nodded his head in approval. “Very well, go and help your friend. But y’all mind yourselves in there, understand?”

“Thank you, Reverend.”

Misty took Leona’s hand took her to the far end of the row houses. Well, they weren’t really row houses they were little bungalows very close to one another. They looked like they could barely fit two people. Misty’s Bungalow was akin to a studio apartment. The house had a kitchenette, a small bathroom, a closet, a wood burning stove, a breakfast nook and a twin-sized cott. Overall it was a rustic looking home, but still charming.

“You can take a seat on the bed over there while I get my stuff ready. Also, mind if I turn on my radio?”

“It’s fine, go right ahead.” Said Leona as she sat on the cott.

Misty smiled as she turned on the radio. When the song started to play, she went over to the cabinet to get some gauze and a bucket filled with god knows what. All the while, she was singing along with radio. 

The artist sounded very familiar to Leona. Once the song got to the first verse, she understood who it was. “I know this voice. This is Stevie Nicks, isn’t it?”

The curly haired girl beamed once Leona got the name right. She ran over to the bed with her first aid supplies and gripped her hand. “Yes! Oh, isn’t she amazing? The moment she heard the name Rhiannon, she wrote this song. It’s been her anthem ever since. She’s one of us, actually.”

Leona felt confused for a moment. “Pardon?”

“Stevie Nicks is more than just a singer, Leona. She’s a witch, just like you and me!”

Her eyes opened wide. Misty was a witch too?! Leona checked out her aura, and it was surrounded by an overwhelming energy, so she wasn’t lying. She kind of suspected this woman wasn’t entirely normal. Misty did know where Leona was hiding after all.

“I don’t understand.” She said with caution in her voice. “How could you tell that I’m a witch?”

Misty sat cross-legged on the bed and faced her. “The other day I felt something strange. It started with goosebumps on my arms and a tingling sensation up n’ down my spine. Then today while I was out getting some swamp mud from the Bayou, that feeling became stronger. I could sense that you were in trouble because your magic lead me to you.”

Now it all made sense. “Ah, so that’s how you were able to find me. Still, I’m glad you did. I would have been wandering around those woods for ages. And who knows what those rednecks would have done to me if I didn’t find that hollow?”

“They’re idiots.” Misty said bluntly. “I may not be educated either, but those guys are the worst kind of stupid. But enough about them. Let’s take a look at those scratches. Could you lower your stocking for me, please?”

“Oh! Sure thing.” Leona pulled down the sock, revealing the injury. It looked as bad as it felt, the same with her hand.

“Don’t worry, this stuff will heal you in no time.”

Misty got off of the bed and pulled the bucket towards her. She grabbed a handful of mushy moss-green stuff and started rubbing it on her shin and hand. Leona wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what it was, but she decided to ask anyway.

“What is that stuff, Misty?”

“Swamp mud. This stuff right here is the literal shit. The mud is the main part of it but it also contains Spanish moss and alligator doung. As gross as it may appear, it has a bunch of healing properties. Since the Bayous are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests, I was always getting bit. This mud healed them right up. It’s also good for other injuries too, like scratches, burns and bruises.”

While Leona didn’t really know how to feel about her injuries being healed with actual gattor shit, it did help cool down the burning sensation of the scratches. “It’s kind of stinky, but I do feel like my cuts are feeling better.”

“That’s good to hear.” Once she was done applying the mud, she wrapped the gauze around her leg and hand to keep it from dripping. “Just keep the bandages on overnight and you’ll be as good as new in the morning.”

“Thanks Misty, I appreciate it.”

“A shame about the tear in your stocking though. They look expensive.”

Leona just laughed it off. “Heh, not really. It’s not that big a deal anyway, I’m practically rich in thigh-highs.”

“I could patch it up for you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that! You’ve already done so much for me with taking care of my scratches.”

Misty smiled as she gently took the damaged thigh-high from Leona. “It’s fine. It’ll only take a few minutes and I’m sure you’re still tired from walking all day.”

She was right. Leona’s feet were killing her and a few more minutes of rest wouldn’t hurt.

“Atta girl. Now where did I put that sewing kit?”

While Misty was rummaging through her cabinets, Leona took a closer look at the bungalow. It was decorated with handcrafted pieces. A red and black shawl hung right above the bed. But what stood out more, were the Stevie Nicks posters hanging on the walls. Misty was definitely more than just a fan. She practically worshiped her! Even though Leona wasn’t a hardcore fan like her new friend, she liked listening to her songs every once in a while.

“You must really idolize, Stevie Nicks, huh Misty?”

The curly haired girl flinched when she found the sewing kit. “I do… But, we’re not allowed to worship false idols here. Every time someone knocks on my door, I have to quickly put the posters away. Promise me you won’t tell anyone I have these?”

“It’ll just be between us.”

Misty smiled as she got to work on the torn garment. “I’m really glad we met today, Leona. I’ve always known there were others like me in this world. But, it feels good meeting one of my own face to face. We have so much to teach each other.”

Leona rubbed her arm as stared at her. feet “I’d be a lousy teacher. There’s still so much about myself that I don’t know. Even though I’ve had eight years to learn about my abilities, a part of me is afraid to know more.”

The curly haired witch put down the stocking and gripped Leona’s hands. “I felt the exact same way, Leona. People mocked me for my gifts for years and I always felt the pressure to hide em’. But, now that I’ve met you, I know I’m not alone anymore. And neither are you. We can still learn from one another. You don’t have to be afraid. From the moment I looked into those beautiful blue eyes of yours, I knew that I have found my sister witch.”

Leona felt a lump form in her throat. That hit her right where she lived. She felt like she was going to cry. This was the kind of reassurance that she needed. Even though Cordelia did her best at trying to understand her, Misty was different. She didn’t treat her like a kid, or told her that her powers needed to be hidden from the world. Most of all, she didn’t bombard Leona with insensitive questions. But, if Misty knew about what she had done to her father and what happened to her brother in order to get these eyes, would she still feel the same way?

‘_Oh Misty, if you only knew.’ _

Leona squeezed her hands tightly. “Misty, I-” _ RING! RING! RING! _

Leona’s smartphone went off at the most inconvenient time. She stuffed her hand into her bag and saw that the caller was Cordelia. “I’m sorry Misty, but I do need to take this.”

“No, no, It’s okay! You can answer it.”

Leona scrolled her finger across the bar and held the device to her ear. “Hello? Yes, I know I said I’d be back by six and I know I was supposed to contact you if I was going to stay out later… Yes Ms. Cordelia, I do know what time it is… I just got a little sidetracked, that’s all… I’m near the Bayou, just outside the city… *_ sigh* _You really didn’t have to do that… Look, I should be back in a few hours… 9:00 maybe 9:30 perhaps? … Okay, I’ll see you then… Right… uh, sorry.”

Leona sighed as she put her phone back. Misty looked at her new friend with concern. “Is everything okay?”

“Apparently, my teacher set out a search party for me. Even though I’m only five minutes late! Listen Misty, I’m sorry but I really have to get back have to go home now. I know you haven’t finished fixing my stockings yet, but can I come back tomorrow for them?”

Misty’s smile faltered a bit, but she tried to fake it for Leona’s sake. “Of course, you’re welcome here anytime. Oh! But before I take you to the bus station, take this with you.” Misty handed Leona a small mason jar. “It’s some of that leftover mud. You can use it on your bug bites and the blisters on your feet.”

Leona smiled as she held the jar in her hand. “Thanks Misty.”

Once she put on her shoes and got her stuff together, the two women walked out of the house and down to the station. It was only a few blocks away from the path and since Misty knew the forest well, she knew how to get to and from the station.

“The bus should be coming soon to take you back to the inner city. It runs every hour on the hour so it should be here in about ten minutes. Be safe on you’re way home, okay Leona?”

The young witch gave Misty hug. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me. Oh, and please, call me Leo.”

“You’re more than welcome, Leo. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again.”

The bus came right on time. After Misty hugged her new friend back, Leona hopped aboard the train and found an empty seat. She waved at her new friend through the window as she faded away in the distance.. As tired as she was, she was quite ecstatic. This was the first witch Leona had met outside of the academy that wasn’t her aunt. Misty was so kind to her and she really seemed really happy in meeting another witch too. Even though Leona was glad that Queenie was nice to her as well, Misty was different. She didn’t have to help her, nor was told she had to be nice to her. But Misty did and out of the goodness of her heart. Perhaps Aunt Darcey was right. Maybe there were witches who could understand her.

* * *

After the three hour bus ride, Leona got an Uber to take her back to the academy. She wasn’t looking forward to going inside. She knew she was going to get an earful from Cordelia. The headmistress sounded really pissed off on the phone. Leona only forgot to contact Cordelia after five minutes! Cordelia really did take their safety way too seriously.

The moment she walked in the door, Cordelia was already waiting in the hall. She was tightlipped and her brows were arched inward. “Jesus Leona, We were all worried sick!”

Leona tried to sympathize with the worried teacher, but she did kind of blew the whole thing out of proportion. “I’m sorry, Ms. Cordelia. But it really was only five minutes.” 

“A lot can happen in five minutes, Leona. I gave you specific instructions to contact me, if you were unable to come back at the original time. And what happened to your leg and hand?”

This was really starting to get on Leona’s nerves. Couldn’t a witch make a mistake? “I accidentally tripped on a root while I was walking near the swamp.”

“I’m still wondering what you were doing out there in the first place!”

“I just wanted to see more of Louisiana! I thought you said I was free to come and go as I please?”

Cordelia sighed. “I thought you were going to stay within the city limits. Honestly Leona, I don’t think you fully comprehend the situation you’re in.”

This was really starting to piss Leona off. The headmistress was treating her like she was fifteen, for crying out loud! “What? What is it that I don’t comprehend?”

“You’re not like the other girls here! Don’t forget, You’ve been given the most valuable artifacts in the known universe. People would literally kill to get those eyes. Not only that, you have little to know control over your new ability. I promised your aunt that I would look after you. What would she say if something were to happen-”

_ WHACK! _

In her anger, Leona slammed her fist into the wall. It was loud enough to wake the dead. The act alone was enough to startle the headmistress. She couldn’t stop shaking. All Cordelia was running her mouth, scolding her like some stupid teenager! This woman didn’t know anything about the burdons Leona had to carry!

Slowly, she removed her fist from the wall. Leona’s eyes pierced into Cordelia’s soul. “Just so you know Ms. Cordelia, these eyes weren’t “given to me”. My brother and I were forced to make a choice. He offered to give up his sight, while I have to deal with these things in my sockets. I would gladly gouge them out if it meant my brother got to see again! As for my new powers, I never want to use them again. Now, if you don’t mind. I am tired, I stink like shit, my feet are fucking killing me and I want to go back to my room. Thank you and goodnight!”

Leona walked passed Cordelia in a huff. The headmistress just stood in the hallway shocked and confused. She was used to the girls being rebellious but this girl was on a whole other level! Spalding came down to see what was up. Cordelia felt his presence and faced him.

She just started laughing. “She really is Darcey’s niece, isn’t she?”

* * *

Leona sat in the tub while the cool water sprinkled on her skin, washing away the sweat. She was mortified. Yelling at Cordelia was uncalled for. The woman was only doing her job. But still, she didn’t being treated as a special case just because she had the all-seeing-eyes of the gods. However, despite being tired and irritable, it wasn’t really a bad day. Yes, Leona did have a rough time dealing with those rednecks, but she met a new witch that day! Even though she was a tad skeptical that the mud would heal her scratches, Misty showed wisdom beyond her years. Perhaps being friends with a witch like her, would make living in New Orleans all worth the while? 


	5. Chapter 5

After some much needed sleep, Leona got up bright and early. That swamp mud Misty gave her really helped heal her wounds. When she took off the gauze, both her shin and left hand were completely healed! There weren’t any scars either! On top of that, her mosquito bites and blisters also went away thanks to the mud. Leona was so grateful for all she’d done for her, she wanted to give Misty something special as a token of her gratitude. Now, she didn’t have any magical mud. But, she did know how to make a simple yet scrumptious Italian dinner!

Leona didn’t know whether or not Misty was vegetarian. So, she figured a meatless baked ziti with garlic bread would suffice. All of the ingredients needed to make the dish were all in the kitchen. She was using a very simple recipe, and would be ready in about forty minutes. Plus, it was Spalding’s day off so she had the whole kitchen to herself without anyone distracting her.

However, this baked ziti wasn’t just for Misty. Leona decided to give each of the students and Cordelia a serving as an apology. While everyone at the academy had their faults, the young witch realized she hadn’t been the easiest to get along with either. An especially big serving would go to the headmistress. Leona was still embarrassed her anger got the better of her when she came home late that night. Although, she still believed Cordelia was being too overprotective, Leona realized she could have handled the situation better than she did. Cordelia was technically her guardian for the indefinite future, and was only doing what she was tasked with. Plus, her little outburst didn’t help make the teacher’s job any easier. As the eldest, Leona wanted to set a better example for the younger witches of the academy. Making a nice and hearty meal was a good enough start to earn their trust.

The pasta dish was almost ready to come out of the oven. All that was left were the garlic rolls and then she’d be ready to go! Everything certainly smelled delicious. Leona’s mother did say that sharing a delicious meal was a 100% guarantee to help make new friends. What better way to do that than with baked ziti!

As Leona took her culinary triumph out of the oven and into the serving bowls, Nan and Queenie came into the kitchen to see what was up.

“Ooo! Something smells good in here! What’re you cooking?”

Leona smiled as she prepared the servings. “Meatless baked ziti with garlic bread!”

“For breakfast?” asked Nan.

“Well no, I planned to make individual servings for everyone to heat up and eat later.”

Queenie sat down at the table while Leona continued with the meal. “But why did you decide to make this so early in the morning?”

Leona cracked a smile when she asked. “While I was out touring the swamps yesterday, I tripped and scratched up my leg and hand. But, this really cool hippie girl helped me out and gave me this weird mud stuff. It totally healed up my injuries!”

She showed the two teenagers her hand and leg. They weren’t too impressed, since they didn’t see her at all last night. So, the girls had a bit of trouble believing her. But still, Leona wasn’t the type of person to lie. 

“It looks exactly like it did when we met.” Queenie said with a look of skepticism. “Can you prove it?”

“Do any of you currently have any cuts or bruises?”

“Actually…” Nan spoke up. “I did accidentally bump my hand against the bedpost.”

The clairvoyant showed Leona and queenie her right hand with a particularly nasty looking bruise. She must have hit it pretty hard. The new witch got up from the table “Wait right here.” 

Leona went to go fetch the remaining swamp mud from her room and a big band-aid from the first-aid kit. She placed a dab of the stuff on Nan’s hand and placed the bandage over it. “You can take off the band-aid tomorrow and you’ll find that bruise completely gone.”

They were still a little skeptical, but they decided to go along with it until the next day. Queenie decided to go back to the topic of the pasta dish. “So, you’re making baked ziti to thank her for the mud?”

“Well yeah, and to thank her for patching up my ripped stocking. She said she’d finish it today, so I’ll be going back to the swamp this afternoon.”

Queenie and Nan looked at each other then back at Leona. “Are you sure want to go back there, Leo?” Nan asked with concern in her voice.

“Yeah, Cordelia was kinda pissed you didn’t contact her. Also, we heard your shouting match from upstairs last night. To be honest, I’m rather impressed. You’re the first of us to actually cuss at her.”

Leona felt her cheeks get hot. She didn’t think she was that loud. Well, she did hit the wall pretty hard and their argument wasn’t exactly pleasant. 

She fiddled with her thumbs, trying to find the right words. “I know… and I really do feel bad about the whole thing. I mean, yes, I do think Ms. Cordelia was being a little too strict with the rules, but it’s only because she cares. I should have handled the situation better than just snap at her. It’s just that everything’s been so frustrating lately. But, I shouldn’t have taken that out on her. Or any of you, for that matter. So, this baked ziti isn’t just for the girl I’m meeting with. This is a peace offering for all of you too. I haven’t been the easiest to get along with these past few days and I want to make it right.”

Queenie cracked a smile. The human voodoo doll knew that Leona didn’t have to go through all that trouble. However, she thought it was cool that the new girl wanted to put in the effort to get along with everyone. Queenie had always looked out for herself and never really forgave the people who hurt her. Because of her tendency of holding grudges, it made it hard for her to make any friends. Leona was different though. If she felt that she had wronged someone, she did her best to apologize and make amends.

“That’s sweet, Leo. Thanks.”

“Does Madison get a serving too?” Nan asked

Leona didn’t have any intentions of becoming best friends with her. But still, it wouldn’t do anyone good if they were just fighting all the time. “She does indeed. Where is she anyway?”

“She went out last night to some party after you called Cordelia.” Queenie added. “No doubt she’s sleeping off one of her legendary hangovers.”

“I see.” Leona tried to stay calm but her eye started to twitch. 

This news irked her quite a bit. So it was okay for Madison, a seventeen year old girl, to wander off into the night partying? But Gods forbid a grown woman like Leona to go off on her own and be out too late! Leona thought about reducing Cordelia’s portion than she originally thought. However, she still felt that she owed her that apology. Even though she knew she was making excuses for Cordelia, it can’t be easy looking after a rehabilitating celebrity like Madison.

Leona got up from her seat and went back to the counter. “In that case, she gets a smaller portion.”

Queenie started to chuckle. “Damn Leo, you kinda suck when it comes to getting back at people.”

“I know.” she laughed as she put the bowls of food away in the fridge. “But, it’s not really in my nature to hold a grudge. It just makes me feel worse. Still, isn’t Madison supposed to be cleaning up her act? What’ll happen if she gets caught?”

“Haven’t been caught yet, New Girl.”

Leona turned around to find the infamous party girl standing in the archway. She had her hair in a side ponytail and wearing nothing but a camisole top and a pair of short shorts that may as well have been panties. The blonde haired witch strolled over to the coffee machine to pour herself a cup.

“Ugh! why does it smell like a vampire hunter’s bachelor pad in here?” she asked with a disgusted look on her face.

The strong fragrance of the garlic bread was pretty strong. Not only that, Leona also put garlic in the tomato sauce for flavor. She realized she should have cracked a window before she started cooking. The smell of garlic never bothered her, but tends to forget that other people aren’t as fond of it. 

Leona felt sheepish as the other students were beginning to notice the potency of the vegetable. “Sorry about that. I’ll open a window to let the air in.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question.” Madison sipped her coffee then sat down at the table.

“She was cooking baked ziti this morning.” Nan answered.

“So what, is she Julia Child now or something?”

“C’mon, Leo’s just trying to be friendly.” Queenie understood how hard her new friend was doing her best to be a good housemate. There was no way she was going to let Madison ruin it for her. “At least one of us is putting in the effort to be.”

“Aw, does she think if we all eat her vampire poison, we’ll all be BFFs or something?”

“Bitch, I swear to God!” Before Queenie was about to call out Madison on her bitchy attitude, Leona stepped in. It was about time these girls had a mature role model in their group. 

“No, I don’t expect us to be best friends after one meal, Madison. The reason why I’m making this for you guys is because I want to start over. It was wrong of me to lash out at you guys like that. As the oldest, I should have set a better example. Just because I’m currently dealing with these issues, doesn’t mean I should take my frustrations out on you. Cooking for everyone is my way of apologizing for my behavior. If you would like some, your portion is in the fridge if you want to eat it later.”

The kitchen was silent. Queenie and Nan practically had their jaws on the floor. They didn’t expect this at all! Instead of getting into a typical teen cat fight, Leona spoke to her like a mother trying to reason with her child. Madison was also speechless. However, her pride wouldn’t let her admit that Leona had won. 

She looked at the new witch and smirked. “I’m on a no carb diet, so no thanks. Besides, this place still reeks of garlic so I’m going to Starbucks. Later, Julia.”

Madison strutted out of the kitchen. The two witches got up from the table and stood beside Leona. Queenie put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t let her get to you. She just doesn’t want to admit that she made herself sound like more of a bitch than usual.”

“How were you able to to do that?” Nan asked. “There wasn’t any name calling or anything.”

“I was over this teenage bullshit the moment I graduated high school.” She said bluntly. “If I had gotten into a shouting match, I would have given her what she wanted. Common sense was my best weapon of choice.”

“Well, it worked. Besides, if Madison won’t eat her portion, I will.”

“I appreciate it Queenie. But, it’s best to leave it alone. Who knows? Perhaps she’ll change her mind.”

The human voodoo doll decided to back off. Seeing the look on Madison’s dumb face was good enough for her. Once Leona was done putting everyone portions away, she put the rest of the food in a basket. It would be easy to carry on her long trip to the swamps.

“Welp, looks like I have everything ready. Oh! But, before I go…” Leona went over to the counter and fetched a piece of paper. She wanted to apologize to the headmistress for her behavior, but she still felt awkward about the whole thing. “Could one of you give this to Ms. Cordelia for me? I’d talk to her myself, but…”

Queenie took the note from Leona’s hand. “We get it. I’ll make sure that she gets it.”

“Thanks a bunch! I’ll see you guys tonight.”

And with that out of the way, Leona was off to the Bayou. Her little mishap with Madison was unfortunate, but it wasn’t that big a deal. She was just happy to see Misty again. Even though they met through odd circumstances, she was a very fascinating witch. Her knowledge of plant life and their healing properties were astounding for someone who only had a fourth grade education. But that wasn’t important. Misty made Leona feel more at home than anyone else did. Even though Queenie did her best, Leona wasn’t sure if it was truly out of the goodness of her heart, or if it was to just get Cordelia off her back. She didn’t want to think about that now. All that mattered was her day with her new found friend.

* * *

When Leona found the commune in the Bayou, she asked one of the residents if Misty was in that afternoon. With a begrudging look in their eyes, they pointed out her bungalow on the far end. There was no doubt that they didn’t take too kindly to outsiders. But, of course they couldn’t refuse an outsider who was pure enough to bring lunch for their friend. On top of that, they knew Misty helped Leona when she was lost and hurt in those woods. It was only natural she wanted to show her gratitude to the kind hearted woman.

Leona approached Misty’s little house and knocked on the door. She could hear Stevie Nicks from the inside. However, it was quickly turned off as soon as her knuckles hit the door. Sounds of footsteps quickly came to the entrance.

As soon as Misty opened up for her, she immediately smiled. “Leo! You made it! Come in, come in, don’t be a stranger. I have your stockings right there on the table.”

Leona took her stockings and looked them over. The stitching was so small the garment looked like it was never torn. “Wow! They look as good as new! Thank you so much, Misty. Oh! And thanks for the swamp mud. You were right, my scratches are all healed up now. It even worked wonders for my bug bites and blisters! You really know your stuff.”

The swamp witch blushed as she played with one of her curls. “I do what I can. Besides, it’s all just basic knowledge really.”

“Yeah, knowledge that no other witch knows about! You’re incredible, Misty.”

“Oh stop, you’re making me blush, Leo.”

Humble and talented to boot, Leona didn’t know why someone like Misty wasn’t living at the academy. Honestly, she would be safer there than at a religious commune. However, she didn’t want to press that question so soon. Leona just wanted to give Misty her thank you gift.

“Oh yeah, if you’re not doing anything right now, I made this for you.”

Leona took the baked ziti and garlic bread from the basket. Misty took a whiff of the food she could practically taste how delicious it was.

“Mmmm… I thought I smelled something good from that basket.”

The new witch chuckled. “You were right! I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for me yesterday. It’s not all-healing mud, but I figured an Italian brunch would be good enough. I didn’t know whether or not you were vegetarian, so I made a meatless baked ziti. Is that okay?” 

“Well aren’t you sweet?” Misty said as she smiled brightly at her new friend. “I’m sure it will taste absolutely amazin’. I’ll go grab us some plates and utensils. If you could get the ice tea from the fridge, that would be great.”

Once they set up the table, the two witches immediately dug into their meal. Misty foodgamsed at the first bite. “Mmmmmm! This baked ziti is heaven! You’re a really good cook, Leona.”

She blushed after being praised for her food. “Oh it’s nothing really. It’s a simple dish that anyone could make. I’ll give you the recipe if you’re interested.”

“What else can you cook?”

“I’ve gotten pretty good with Italian cuisine thanks to my mom and her many relatives. Let’s see, I can make spaghetti and meatballs, obviously. Um, lasagna with meat sauce, linguine bolognese, chicken parmigiana, cheesecake and apple pie. Oh! And I can cook simple American dishes too.”

Misty was practically drooling. Leona wondered what on earth was this commune feeding her? “Wow! And you said you learned all that from your mama and her relatives, right? Are they all Italian?”

“Yep! Her family is very close. Me, my brother, our mom, and Aunt Darcey visit them every year for Easter. We have a big potluck dinner and everyone brings something special for brunch after church is over. It’s fun!”

“Aunt Darcey?” Misty asked. “What, is she not related to your mother?”

“She’s my mom’s sister-in-law. Aunt Darcey is… was my father’s younger sister.”

Misty frowned as she placed her knife and fork on her plate. “Was?”

Leona flinched, she probably should have stuck with the present tense but it was too late. Better to be honest that her father was no longer around. “He passed away last week… accident.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Leo.” Misty gently took her hand. “I know how hard it is to lose a daddy.”

Leona clenched her fist in Misty’s palm. She probably thought that her father was a loving man in life. However, her “daddy” was a narcissistic monster. He never even bothered to raise her. The only two people who raised Leona into the woman she was, was her mother and Aunt Darcey. All he did was put her down, belittled and patronized her. Whenever Leona found the smallest bit of happiness in her life, her father saw to it to take it away from her. Instead, he focused all of his love and attention on her brother, Michael. However, she doubted it was love in the first place. Michael hated the attention he received from their father. Charles Watch only wanted a son, so he could live vicariously through him. Leona still remembered how furious their dad was when Michael announced he wanted to study to be an illustrator instead of a neurosurgeon like Charles was. And by furious, it meant her father would act passive-aggressively towards his own family if something didn’t go his way. If Leona was being honest, her father didn’t know how to love anyone or anything other than himself. He certainly knew how to act the part of a loving father in public. But in private… He couldn’t care less about her.

A twisted part of Leona felt glad that her father was gone. Especially after everything he did to make her and her family suffer. But as always, Leona’s morality would snap her out of it. No one deserved to die the way Charles did. Even though she did hate him, he was still her father.

Leona’s bangs covered her eyes as she stared down at the stray ziti noodles. “Yeah…”

Her voice sounded so strained. Despite Misty’s lack of intelligence, she knew very well how to read a room. Deep down, the swamp witch knew that her friend’s situation with her father was more complicated than she wanted people to realize. However, Misty didn’t want to drive her new friend off with any questions that would make her feel uncomfortable. It was for the best that she changed the subject.

“Well anyway, care to tell me more about the dinners you’ve had with your family? They sound like a hoot.”

Leona lifted her head up. There were a few small tears in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them out of the way. She was more than willing to talk about anything other than her dad at that point.

“Sure!”

Despite the somber tone regarding her father, it soon melted away. The moment Leona started chatting about the numerous family reunions and potlucks she’d been too over the years, she couldn’t stop! Misty listened to her like a child hearing a bedtime story. 

“Now don’t get me wrong, My Aunt Carmen is a beautiful woman. She even taught me how to make a decent Chicago-style cheesecake. However, her lasagna is so dense, you could anchor a boat with it!”

“Holy crap! Haha! I’m guessing she’s not the one who taught you how to make that one.” Misty said while eating a piece of garlic bread.

“No, that was my grandmother. But, here’s what went down. I think I was around fifteen at the time. All of our family’s spring breaks aligned with each other, so we all decided to go to the old homestead in Tuscany for Easter. Everyone brought their signature dishes to brunch that day. Including, Aunt Carmen’s infamous lasagna. Now, the family didn’t want to hurt her feelings so they never told her how bad it was. However, the moment everyone took a bite and swallowed that lasagna, all of the dining chairs simultaneously broke! All of us fell flat on our asses after eating that thing!”

The two women howled with laughter. Misty never heard something so funny in all her life! “Hahahaha! Oh man, that was a goodin, Leo! But, nobody got hurt, I hope?”

“No, we were all fine.” Leona said while wiping away a tear. “But, poor Auntie Carmen was so embarrassed though. She never cooked another lasagna again after that and just brings her cheesecake instead. Fortunately, she got over it and we all have a good laugh whenever we bring up this story.”

“That’s good to hear.” Misty said while chuckling. “You know, I haven’t had a good laugh like that in a long time. You’re a really sweet and funny girl, Leo. I’m so glad we found each other.”

Leona felt her heart skip a beat the moment her hand touched hers. Misty really did look pretty when she smiled at her like that. Feeling a blush creep across her face, she bent her head down and fiddled with the rest of the stray pasta.

“Uh, me too, Misty.”

“Now don’t get me wrong, your pasta was excellent. However…” The swamp witch placed her hands over her belly as she leaned back in her chair. “I think my own chairs will break if I eat anymore.”

Leona laughed since she felt her tummy was getting full too. “We don’t want that, now do we? But, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“You’re very welcome, Leona. You know, it’s such a beautiful day out. Why don’t we go out for a walk around the bayou?”

She checked her phone for the time. It was still pretty early, so Leona had plenty of time before the three o’clock bus. As long as she kept track of time, she didn’t see any harm in a little walk to help burn off brunch.

“Sure, that sounds great.”

When the two of them walked out of the house, eyes filled with distrust were piercing through Leona. Once they were away from the community, they were free to talk. “I get the feeling these people don’t like me that much.”

“Yeah, they don’t take too kindly to outsiders.”

“Hmm, maybe it’s for the best to hang out outside the commune. Either we just stay in the Bayou, the nearby town, or you can come see me in the city.”

Misty seemed hesitant for a minute. She really didn’t like leaving her bungalow or the swamp areas. However, she didn’t want to cause Leona any trouble if the commune wasn’t going to be welcoming to her.

“You might be right.”

“Do you have a phone, so I can contact you?” Leona asked.

“We aren’t allowed to have mobiles. There's a landline at the main house, but we’re only allowed to use it once a day.”

“That’s fine. Here, let me just…” Leona reached into her bag. She tore out a piece of paper from her notepad and started scribbling her cell number on it. “Since it would probably an issue if I called the landline, you can contact me instead. This number will lead directly to my smartphone. Whenever you feel like you want to talk or hang out, just call me. However, the place I’m staying at requires me to participate in morning and afternoon lessons. So, the best time to contact me is after 1:30 PM. Also, considering we both have a bit of a journey to see each other, it’s better to meet halfway and spend time together at a nearby town.”

Misty took the scrap of paper and placed it in her little drawstring bag. “All of that’s fine, as long as we get to see each other.”

Leona smiled. “Sweet! Well, lead the way Misty.”

* * *

Misty and Leona walked around the swamp area for about an hour. Fortunately, there weren’t any perverted rednecks to bother them. The pair spent their time away from the forest and near the parks instead. The grounds had absolutely luscious weeping willows, people would sit under them to rest their feet. They even bumped into a few members from Misty’s commune. Even though the ones within the community didn’t warm up to Leona, some of them were pretty friendly. As it turns out, some of them really adored Misty. Whenever someone got hurt, she would lend her mud to them and they’d feel all better. This fact made Leona a little concerned. There was no doubt that some of the people from the commune found this to be a work of god. However, this could also be taken the wrong way if rumors started to spread. This commune really wasn’t the best place for her new friend. Perhaps, Misty would be safer at the academy? However, Leona didn’t know how the swamp witch would feel about it. Sure, Misty would be among her sister witches, but she didn’t know how she would feel about living with a bunch of nosey teenagers. As much as she wanted to ask Misty about moving into the academy, Leona thought it was best to keep the question tabled. For the time being at least.

When it was time to head back, Misty stopped in her tracks. Leona turned back to see what was wrong. Her friend was completely still. Misty’s eyes darting around as if she was looking for something.

“What’s the matter, Misty?” Leona asked 

“Do you smell that?”

Leona took a whiff about the air, but didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary. “I’m sorry, no. Why, do you smell something? Do you think someone left a campfire burning somewhere?”

“No, no that.” Misty said with a hint of caution in her voice. “It smells like death.”

This information was really starting to freak Leona out. “Misty, you’re kind of scaring me right now. Should we just keep walking?”

The swamp witch didn’t respond. Instead, she kept walking ahead of Leona. This didn’t make any sense. If there was trouble brewing, they should get the hell out of that forest. But, Misty was perfectly calm as she walked quickly towards the big tree.

“Misty, where are you going? Hey, wait up!”

As the pair approached the tree, Misty looked down at the bottom of the trunk. Leona followed Misty’s gaze and was disturbed and saddened by what she saw. A little grey warbler laid at the foot of the tree completely still and lifeless. That’s what Misty must have smelled. They continued staring at the dead creature for a few more minutes.

“Poor thing.” Leona said sadly.

Misty didn’t say anything. Instead, she did something Leona didn’t expect. The swamp witch bent down and scooped up the bird in her hands. Leona was a little grossed out that her new friend was picking up a dead animal without any gloves on.

“Oh, Misty you shouldn’t pick it up like that. You might get sick.”

Still remaining quiet, Misty enfolded the creature within her palms and closed her eyes. In that moment, Leona felt a strange energy in the air. The hairs on her arms and neck began to stand on end as a tingle ran down her spine. Misty’s eyes opened, and a small chirping could be heard within her hands. Leona couldn’t believe her eyes. She knew knew that bird was dead. But now, it’s little aura was softly glowing around its body. Leona didn’t know how she did it, but… she did. Misty brought that little warbler back to life!

The swamp witch raised her hand as the bird flew away out of sight. Leona’s glass eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, as she continued staring a hole through Misty. She still couldn’t believe what she saw! Leona knew that miracles did exist in this world, but she never thought this could be one of them. Could it be that Misty was something more than a witch? She didn’t know. But it was clear as day that Misty was truly something special.

When the bird was out of sight, Misty’s body began to sway back and forth. Before she could hit the ground, Leona caught her just in time.

“Are you okay, Misty?”

The swamp witch rubbed her forehead. “I’m feelin’ a bit woozy.”

Leona helped get Misty off the ground. She put her arm around her waist to keep her friend steady. “Come on, let’s get you to the bungalow.”

Once they got back, Leona helped Misty to her and cott and placed a blanket over her. As she sat by her side, so many questions were running through her mind. She still couldn’t find the words to express how beguiled she was.

“Okay, that was… wow. Just, wow! Misty, how on earth were you able to do that?”

“I’ve had that power for as long as I can remember. I just can’t stand the thought of animals suffering a cruel death like that. Some people and animals just aren’t meant to die yet.”

Misty might as well have been the Messiah. This kind of power really is incredible. “You really are amazing, you know that?”

The swamp witch smiled a bit, but then it faltered. “Not everyone feels that way about me. People still think I’m a freak.” 

“They’re crazy!” Leona shouted. “Think of how many lives you could save with that power? Misty, you have a truly astounding gift. While mine, they… they just cause my family trouble.”

Leona’s friend got from her bed. “That’s not true. You may not realize it, but you’re special too. You have the power to take on any form you want. And you have a precious artifact from the gods themselves! That's very incredible, Leo.”

She blushed at Misty’s words. She didn’t really feel all that incredible. “It’s not exactly a useful power. Besides, these eyes came at the price of my brother’s sight. I would do anything to give it back to him.”

“Leo…” 

For some witches, the grass seems greener on the other side. There are some powers that witches desired and some to have taken away. Heck, some wished they weren’t a witch at all. Even though Leona saw how amazing the power to bring people back from the dead was, Misty didn’t entirely feel the same way. Just like Leona, her powers have caused trouble for her family as well. That was the reason why she was constantly moving from place to place about Louisiana. The swamp witch envied her friend’s powers, but understood, her life wasn’t easy either. Even though Misty didn’t know Leona well enough yet, she hoped that in time, she would open up about herself.

Before Leona could say another word, the alarm on her phone went off. It was to catch the next bus back to the city.

“Shoot, it’s late. Sorry Misty, but I have to leave now. The bus will be coming soon.”

“Do you have to leave now?”

Poor Misty looked so sad when she asked that. As much as hated to go, she really didn’t want to cause any more trouble for the headmistress. “I’m afraid so. My teacher was really really pissed when I came home late last night. So, I have to go home before six. But remember, you can always call me on my cell whenever you want to talk or hang out. I’ll answer no matter what.”

“You promise?”

Leona held her hand. “I promise.”

“Thanks Leo. Now go on, you don’t want to miss your bus.”

“I won’t, but thanks again for the stockings. I had a lot of fun today. I’ll give you my baked ziti recipe the next time we see each other.”

“I’ll look forward to that.” Misty said with a smile. “Take care now.”

“You too!”

* * *

When Leona’s bus got to the inner city, she walked straight back to the academy. However, she was a little reluctant to go inside. But she knew she couldn’t avoid Cordelia forever. The headmistress was busy attending to her plants and potions in the greenhouse. Leona felt so awkward, being there, but she needed to apologize for her behavior.

“Ms. Cordelia?”

The teacher turned away from her work table and saw her new charge standing uncomfortably in at the door. “Ah, you’re back! Did you have a good afternoon, Leo.”

“I did, thanks.”

She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to figure out what to say next. “Um… listen, I’m really sorry about last night. I was really tired and sore, but I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

Cordelia put her sheers away and walked towards her student. “You said as much in your note. However, I need to apologize too. I forget that you’re the oldest of my girls and yet I’ve been treating you like you’re their age. You have every right to do as you please while you’re staying with us, but I still get nervous when you guys stay out too late. We still have enemies outside this academy and I just want to make sure you’re all safe.

Leona looked down as she twiddled her thumbs. “I know, and I’m sorry I’ve been making things more difficult for you.”

“Don’t be. You’ve had a very difficult week and you have every right to feel frustrated. But like I said before, this place will feel more like home to you in time.”

“I want to believe that Ma’am, I really do.”

Cordelia smiled as she took her student by the hand and lead her to the work table. “You know, as strange as it may sound, our argument made me feel a bit nostalgic.”

Leona gave her teacher a confused expression. “You’re right it does sound weird. Why do you say that?”

“Your Aunt Darcey used to have the occasional outburst too when we were students here at the academy. She had a tendency of keeping her feelings bottled up, and would lash out when someone rubbed her the wrong way.”

Leona was very surprised. She knew her Aunt was a tad snarky, but she never saw her angry in her life. It was kind of hard to imagine her intelligent and composed Aunt blowing up at someone who upset her. “She really did that as a teenager?”

“Indeed she did. Just like last night, she would hit walls, say some choice words, and slam doors.”

“Jesus.” Leona said breathlessly. “Did she throw these tantrums often?”

“No, they happened once in a blue moon. Of course, Darcey would feel terrible about it the next day and would try to make it up to us.”

“Just like I did this morning with the baked ziti.”

Cordelia chuckled. “Yes, but unlike her, you’re a better cook. She always made cupcakes for me, Myrtle, and the rest of our class. They tasted like crap every time she baked those things, but it’s the thought that counts.”

“Oh yeah, even to this day she isn’t a great cook. Haha, Aunt Darcey tried to bake cookies for me and my brother when we were kids and one of them broke Michael’s baby teeth. From then on, she decided to just buy baked goods instead.”

“It’s good to know she finally realized she shouldn’t be around an oven.”

Cordelia and Leona laughed out loud. She was glad she was finally getting along with the headmistress. “Say, were you two close when you attended the academy?”

“Very.” The headmistress said matter-of-factly. “I arrived five months after she did and I wasn’t emotionally ready to go to boarding school. The transition was tough but it was all thanks to Myrtle and your Aunt that I was able to get through my first year. Darcey was a few years older than me, but we became fast friends not long afterwards. We both had issues with our families and Myrtle Snow treated us as her own adopted daughters. None of us could go home during the holidays, so we would spend them with her. I remember those fun time with your Aunt rather fondly.”

“Family issues, huh…” 

Leona knew that her aunt wasn’t particularly close to her parents. And her relationship with her elder brother was particularly bad. However, Darcey never really explained what caused the relationship with Leona’s paternal grandparents to be so strained. Could it have something to do with Charles? Every time she came to visit her sister-in-law, niece, and nephew, she always looked uncomfortable when Leona’s father was in the room. And of course, having a normal conversation with one another was impossible since it would always end up in a huge fight. Leona hated seeing that as a child. There was no doubt in her mind that her father hated his sister because of her status as a witch. But what could have caused Darcey to stay away from her family, and why did she come back when Charles announced he was engaged?

Despite all the questions going through Leona’s mind, she figured having strained familial relationships was all part of being a witch. As sad as that was. “Must run in the family I guess.”

“All families of witches are different, Leona.” Cordelia said while pruning some of her herbs. “While some are supportive and want their child protected, some live in fear of their child being a witch and want nothing to do with them. That’s why most families choose not to have children when they discover they carry the bloodline.”

“I get it now. However, did Aunt Darcey ever tell you why she never visited her family, even after she graduated?”

The headmistress gripped her sheers tightly. “I… I’m not free to say. I know you two are family and you have every right to know. However, this is something you need to ask her yourself. You understand?”

As irritated as she was because of the endless secrets, Leona realized Cordelia had a point. She was only trying to protect her friend, and it really was up to Leona to ask Darcey about her past.

“I do, Thanks for talking with me and again, I’m sorry about my behavior last night.”

“Don’t worry, all is forgiven. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Just as Leona was about to walk back to her room, she stopped in her tracks. On top of her apology, she thought it was fair to give a proper explain why it took her so long to get hope that night. Not only that, Cordelia needed to know about her new swamp witch friend, Misty Day. She turned around to face the headmistress again.

“Ms. Cordelia.”

“Yes?”

Leona rubbed her neck. “Actually… there’s one more thing I need to talk to you about.”

* * *

“So, what you’re telling me, is that you saw this girl bring a dead bird back from the dead?” Cordelia asked.

“Yes, and she’s also the reason why my scratches healed overnight thanks to the swamp mud Misty gave me.” 

Leona told the headmistress everything that happened while she was in the Louisiana Swamp. From getting lost, her encounter with the rednecks, and meeting the swamp witch, Misty Day. Because of her fight with Cordelia she was too vague as to why she was late. But, more importantly, there was another witch in Louisiana, and Cordelia had to know about her. Misty was truly a special witch and there was no doubt that Leona’s teacher would not turn a sister away.

After Leona said her piece about her new friend, Cordelia was speechless. She was glad to know there were still witches out there, but she was greatly concerned. “So… she has been blessed with the gift of resurgence.”

“Huh?”

“The power of resurgence is a very rare ability. In fact, it has been inaccessible to a majority of past supremes.”

Leona was confused. “I don’t understand, is there more to this power than just bringing people and animals back to life?”

“Tell me something, Leona.” Cordelia said with a stern voice. “Did this bird looked like it was dead for a while?”

“Well yeah… it looked like it’s been dead for at least a week. Plus, it’s wing was broken. So, I guess it must have died from starvation. But, when Misty brought it back, it’s wing was completely healed and was able to fly again.”

“That’s what makes this power so special, Leo. Not only does it bring living things back from the dead, it also has the ability to cure past ailments and restore the body to its natural state if there were any noticeable injuries.”

“Woah…” Leona knew that her friend was powerful, but this was a whole new level! “Do you think her power can make people immortal too?”

“No. All living things die eventually. They may live longer than expected, but even those who were touched by the power of resurgence will die when their time is up. But, back to the matter at hand. You also mentioned that Misty is currently residing with a Pentecostal Commune, correct?”

“Yeah, that’s right. What do you want to know?”

Cordelia sat back down on her stool. She was quiet for a minute as she placed her face in her hands. Soon enough, the headmistress looked directly into her pupil’s eyes. “Misty needs to get the hell out of there, Leo. If people within her community found out about her ability, they’re going to hurt her.”

Leona had a feeling they would. However, did Cordelia really believe that a bunch of god fearing Christains would actually think of commiting murder against one of their own?

“Probably, but I did meet a few people in the commune who are really nice to her. What if they think her gift was something given to her from God or something?”

“Some of them might.” Cordelia started. “However, there are also plenty who will believe her to be a necromancer. And trust me, Leona, they would gladly burn her alive for the sake of their religion.”

The very thought made Leona feel sick. If these people really are twisted enough to kill Misty just because of what she was born with, she was in more danger than she originally realized.

“What should we do?” she asked.

“The best thing to do, is to bring her here. Not only will she be under the protection of the coven, she will be able to learn how to control her powers better. Did you give her your contact info?”

“I did, but she isn’t allowed to have any technology with her. Her only source of communication with the outside world is the commune’s landline in their main building.”

“Hmm… This does complicate things.” Cordelia contemplated the situation thoroughly. “But no matter. We will try everything in our power to bring her over to us. Our kind is already headed for extinction, and we can’t let another one of us die.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“What you’ve been doing these past few days. Continue meeting and talking with her. Gain her trust. From what you’ve told me, Misty’s already taken a liking to you. So, it shouldn’t be to hard. But please, try and stay away from that commune as much as you possibly can. They’ll end up suspicious if you keep going there. When you’ve built a strong friendship with Misty, bring her to the academy immediately.”

This was pretty overwhelming. Leona had every intention of getting close to Misty, since she felt that woman understood her more than anyone else at the academy. However, the way Cordelia was saying all these things, made it seem like she was using Misty somehow. Of course, she wanted her new friend to be safe, but she didn’t want to trick her either. However, would it really be called tricking? Misty would be among other witches and on top of that, would be closer to her new friend. It wasn’t a bad idea at all really. Plus, Misty’s presence would make Leona’s indefinite stay at the academy more bearable. Maybe it was all for the best.

Leona sighed as she made her decision.

“I’ll do it.”


	6. Chapter 6

A full week had passed since Leona’s arrival to New Orleans. However, she felt that so much had happened within her first three days living at Miss Robichaux's Academy. First, was her less-than graceful introduction to the headmistress and students. Second, her encounter with the swamp witch, Misty Day. And now, she is being tasked to convince her new friend to come join the coven. Even though Leona knew this was for Misty’s protection, she wondered if she would even like living with Cordelia and the girls.

There wasn’t any doubt that Queenie and Nan would try to do their part to make her feel welcome. Madison on the other hand, was a different story. However, Leona would defend Misty if Madison was ever mean to her. Besides, having her new friend living at the academy would not be a bad thing. Far from it actually. Heck, she wouldn’t even mind sharing a room with the swamp witch if need be. Leona’s indefinite stay would certainly be more tolerable as long as Misty was by her side.

But, there was something else that was on Leona’s mind. That Sunday when she went to visit Misty, she couldn’t help but feel… something, for the enchanting swamp witch. Leona had figured out her attraction to both men and women since middle school. Of course, because of her status as a witch, this made dating a challenge for her. However, Misty was different. She treated the new witch with such kindness and compassion. She wasn’t spoiled like Madison, distant like Queenie or intrusive like Nan. Just the thought of Misty touching her hand was enough to get her heart racing. It could have been a simple crush. But, Leona wanted to cherish some hope that Misty may feel something for her too.

However, Leona’s own feelings were going to have to wait. For the time being she needed to get closer to Misty and convince her to live at Miss Robichaux's. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too hard to do. She figured a few weeks would be enough time to build a solid friendship with her. At first she was worried the morning and afternoon gatherings would interfere with her task. Fortunately, Cordelia exempted Leona from attending the midday sessions when Leona’s meetups were planned. That way she could spend the rest of her afternoons with Misty. However, since Leona couldn’t call her directly out of fear of the commune, it was all up to Misty.

The swamp witch called Leona that Tuesday. Because they couldn’t go hang out at Misty’s bungalow too often, they had to meet outside the swamp or halfway from their respective homes. And of course, they couldn’t meet up everyday of the week. Otherwise, the puritan community would become suspicious of their activities. They made their distrust of outsiders abundantly clear since Misty let her into the commune.

However, the two witches didn’t let that spoil their fun. Misty was always thrilled when Leona hung out with her. She also learned a little bit more about her swamp witch friend. Apparently, Misty have been raised from hillbilly stock her whole life. She had discovered her resurgence ability from a very early age. When she was only eight years old, Misty had brought back the lives of insects and small animals. For a while she had kept her powers to herself. But that all changed when she was ten years old.

Her powers were discovered after she had brought a dead frog back to life in her fifth grade biology class. At first the teacher thought she brought in a live one as a prank. He forced the poor girl to dissect it alive. When Misty brought the amphibian back a second time, her parents were called. They were far from impressed by what they had just heard. She was taken out of school shortly after that.

After her parents forced her to drop out of school, Misty was forced to endure the abuse from her family on a constant basis. They tried everything to get her powers out of her through prayer, exorcisms, and beatings. Life had become a nightmare for the poor swamp witch. And all of this happened because Misty was born with powers she didn’t even ask for. 

By the time she turned fifteen, she had enough of her parent’s abuse and became a runaway. Misty had gone through every homeless shelter and youth hostel in Louisiana. She had to work menial jobs just to make ends meet. But because of her powers, people became wary of her. She would usually get fired or kicked out of her place of lodging after a few months or so.

When she was eighteen, she had been wandering the swamps of Louisiana for months. She had been kicked out of nearly every shelter at that point and didn’t have anywhere to go. Misty had stumbled upon the puritan commune by chance when she passed out from starvation and exhaustion. After a few weeks of helping the swamp witch get her strength back, they offered her a place to stay. She was a bit reluctant at first because of fear of the community finding out about her powers. However, she didn’t really have a choice. It was either the commune or be homeless again. Misty had been living in that community ever since.

Leona was surprised Misty was able to last that long. After what she said about being kicked out of the local shelters in a short amount of time, she figured the swamp witch would have been out on her ear by now. Fortunately, by the time she turned nineteen she had mastered her abilities and kept them sacred from the puritan community. As impressed as she was, Leona knew that her days at the commune were numbered. The cracks were starting to show and it was only a matter of time before one of the puritans found out about Misty’s status as a witch. Leona needed to get her friend out of that place as soon as possible.

* * *

When Leona went to visit Misty on Thursday, she had to tell her that they would have to put off their next meetup until the following Monday. The swamp witch was rather put off by this news.

“I don’t understand.” She said in a confused tone. It almost sounded like she was going to cry. “Was it something I did? Why can’t we see each other this weekend?”

Leona was surprised by Misty’s sudden mood swing. By the time she arrived, Misty was absolutely beaming. Why the sudden change in behavior?

“What? No, you didn’t do anything. It’s just that my Aunt is coming to visit this weekend to check up on me and bring the rest of my stuff. I told you about my Aunt Darcey, remember?”

“Well yeah, but… but… Can’t you visit on Sunday? You know, when she leaves?”

Now she was starting to get concerned. Misty had always been reluctant to let Leona go when she had to be back at the academy before nightfall. However, the swamp witch was being more pushy than usual. 

“I wish I could, but she won’t be leaving until late Sunday afternoon. Besides, the bus rides to the swamps are long and I don’t want to miss curfew again.”

As Leona was getting her stuff ready to go, Misty was becoming visibly distressed. She kept scratching at her arm and tapping her heel on the wooden floor of the bungalow. However, the swamp witch’s friend didn’t notice and kept talking.

“Also, I was thinking of changing our visits from every other day to two days. I’ve noticed that the people around here have been more aware of our meetups and I just want to take necessary precautions so that-”

Out of nowhere, Misty grabbed her friend’s knapsack and threw it across the room. “NO!”

Leona stared at Misty like a deer in the headlights, dumbfounded by what had transpired. This was the first time she ever saw her friend so upset. Her shoulders were shaking and fat tears were rolling down her cheeks. Misty immediately broke down as she placed her head into Leona’s lap. She wrapped her arms around her waist with no intention of letting go. 

“Please… please…” The swamp witch sobbed. “Please don’t leave me alone… I don’t want to be alone again! I don’t know what I did, but I’m sorry!”

Leona’s chest felt tight as Misty was choking on her words through heart wrenching cries. She was completely mortified.

_ “I’m such an idiot.” _She bitterly thought to herself.

This poor girl had been abandoned by everyone she cared about her whole life. Then all of a sudden, she meets a witch who finally understands and likes her for who she is… Of course Misty would develop separation anxiety after all those years of neglect. Who wouldn’t in that situation? The two witches grew up with different circumstances but, Misty’s story resonated with her own. Just like the swamp witch, Leona knew what it was like to be abandoned by a member of her own family. She never had to live a life on the run and had a great support group in her aunt, mother and brother. But even so, there were times she felt like a stranger in her own home. Her father was mostly to blame for that, but sometimes she would notice her mother being on edge around her when they were alone. Even if her mom never meant to her hurt her feelings, it still stung regardless. Misty and Leona were different, but they knew how lonely a witch’s life could be. 

Leona caressed Misty’s curly blonde to help calm her down. She wondered if she should stay with the vulnerable witch a little while longer. Surely, Cordelia would approve considering the circumstances? However, deep down Leona knew that pacifying her friend wouldn’t solve her problems. If anything, it would only make things worse. She needed to talk to Misty and reassure her that she wouldn’t abandon her. Misty probably would have a hard time accepting it at first, but still, it was the right thing to do.

Once Misty’s sobs turned into quiet whimpers, Leona gently lifted her head off of her lap. She got down on her knees and held her friend's face in her hands as she wiped away any stray tears. It tore her up inside to see Misty this way.

“Misty…” Leona started. “I’m so sorry. All of the signs were there every time I needed to go home, but… I just couldn’t see them. Here I am with the all-seeing-eyes of the gods and yet I’m blind to the suffering of my friend.”

“Leo… you wouldn’t have known.” 

“ No.” She choked. “I should have known your anxiety would boil over the more time I spent with you. But believe me, I would never abandon you! Unlike the students at the academy, you actually care about your sister witches. You don’t judge me, or make fun of my problems. You’re the first witch outside my family I’ve ever gotten close with. And I don’t want to give that up. So, will you forgive me for being insensitive?”

Misty looked into her friend’s mysterious, blue, glass eyes. Leona said she was being insensitive to her feelings. But, she was the exact opposite of that. During their last few visits, her friend was the most attentive listener she’d ever known. On top of that, Leona had never missed a visit since their first meeting. Deep down, Misty knew Leona wouldn’t abandon her so easily. Even though she’s only known the holder of the eyes for a short amount of time, Leona already had become a soul sister to her. Maybe… maybe things could be different this time? 

Misty sighed and lifted her and Leona off the floor. “There’s no need to apologize, Leo. I know you meant well. And you’re right. Everyone’s been more on edge lately and we do need to be careful. It’s just that I’ve felt so alone for a long time and then you came around… I was scared you were getting tired of me or thought I was bein’ too clingy. So, I freaked out.”

Leona gave a half smile. “I know how that feels. Anxiety’s a bitch.”

“Heh, that she is.”

The girls were able to get a laugh out of that. She was glad that Misty was feeling a little better after her breakdown. “But still, I shouldn’t have brought that on you all at once. We’ve only hung out together for a few days. It was probably too soon to bring it up.”

“Yeah, perhaps…” There was dead silence for a moment, but it didn’t take long for Misty to speak up. “ Maybe we could just take it one step at a time? Then I’ll feel ready to go along with your two day plan?”

“That’s fine, whatever makes you feel comfortable. However, I still need this weekend to spend time with my aunt. She’ll be busy with her fall collection these next few months and I won’t be able to see her for a while.”

“I understand.” Misty said sadly. She knew her friend needed to be with her aunt for the weekend, but she was still bummed about not seeing her. Fortunately, Leona had a perfect remedy for this.

“I’ll tell you what, How about I ask Ms. Cordelia to give me Monday off to spend time with you?”

Misty smiled for a bit, but then faltered. “Do you think she’ll be okay with that? I don’t want to impose or nothin’.”

“I think it’ll be fine. If I explain the circumstances, I’m sure she’ll understand. Also, I’ve been thinking…” Leona smiled impishly and took Misty’s hands. “Since I always come to visit you, why don’t you come to the city to see me?”

Misty was surprised. She hadn’t been to New Orleans since she was a little kid. Also, she was very worried about being away from the commune for too long. “I dunno, Leo…”

“It’ll be fun! We’ll go sight-seeing, have some lunch, do some shopping. Everything will be awesome. And I promise we’ll get you back home before anyone suspects anything.”

Misty was still a little nervous about going. She didn’t want to get in trouble with the commune. If she did, they probably would forbid her from seeing Leona again and she didn’t want that. However, perhaps if she came up with an excuse, like running some errands in town, then it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. Just as long as she made it back in time for evening prayer, one day trip shouldn’t do them any harm. Still, there were many reasons why she shouldn’t go too. This was tough.

Leona could tell Misty was still a little hesitant. However, she knew the best offer that would make it impossible for her friend to refuse.

“Also, there’s this neat little record store right by the French Quarter. I believe we might be able to find some albums by Stevie Nicks while we’re there.”

The moment Leona said the words Stevie and Nicks, Misty was immediately sold on the day trip. “You really think think we’ll find Stevie?”

“Totally! I’ve been in that store a few times and I remember seeing a few of her records on sale.”

Despite her fear of getting into trouble, she knew it would be worth it if she got some Stevie Nicks related souvenirs from the trip. “Okay, okay, you’ve twisted my arm, Leo. I’ll come to New Orleans!”

The two friends hugged, elated that they would spend the whole day together on Monday. Leona was happy that she was able to alleviate the drama that had transpired a few minutes ago. However, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was making the right choice? Misty had every right to feel wary. This day trip could cause some serious problems regarding future meetups. The swamp witch was already making her community feel more and more suspicious of her activities since Leona came into her life. If these people really were puritan fanatics, they would probably force Misty to never see her friend again. On the other hand, if they were as Cordelia described, they could seriously hurt her or worse. The very thought caused a lump to form in Leona’s throat. It would break her heart if she couldn’t be with Misty or if she got hurt because of her own reckless ideas.

However, Leona knew that all was not lost yet. Perhaps, the visit could inspire Misty to leave the commune? After getting a taste of freedom of the big city, Leona could convince her to come live at the academy. The eyes user could tell that Misty would absolutely love everything that the city had to offer. She could listen to Stevie Nicks to her heart’s content and hang all the posters up in her room without getting in trouble. On top of that, she will be in a community of witches just like her and will be under the protection of the coven. Was it a perfect community? No. But still, it was better than living in fear with the commune. One thing Leona knew for certain was that time was running out. And the last thing she wanted was for Misty to suffer the consequences if they waited to long. The day trip was a bit of a long shot, but it was the best hope Leona had in order to persuade her friend into joining the coven.

She would just have to wait and see until then. 


	7. Chapter 7

For as long as Leona could remember, Aunt Darcey has always been the most glamorous and outgoing woman she’s ever met. She figured Myrtle Snow had something to do with her eccentric personality and sense of style. However, that never fazed the young witch one bit. If anything, Leona wished to be more like her. Darcey was basically one of those well put-together women on TV that she envied. Tall, elegant, charismatic and completely comfortable with herself. Everything that Leona wasn’t.

But what made her aunt so great in her eyes, was that she always tried to make time for her. Leona was Darcey’s protege after all. She’d always been like a second mother to her ever since she was born. It was because she knew that Leona needed someone from their unique world to look up to. It was all thanks to her that Leona was able to master her shapeshifting ability and learn more about her heritage as a witch. Well, as much as she could anyway.

Since her encounter with the deity that bestowed her the all-seeing eyes and the incident that killed her father, Leona felt more unsure of herself than ever. She hoped that Aunt Darcey found out more of her strange new power. The fashion designer told her niece she would research the family archives and see what she could find out. But, she didn’t make any promises. To Darcey, she never expected her niece of all people to inherit one of the seven wonders. There have been ancestors who manifested at least two or three of the wonders, Darcey included. However, she always thought that Leona’s generation would be skipped. Never in all her years of being that girl’s teacher would she suspect that her niece would possess the most destructive of the seven wonders. Fortunately, Darcey managed to find something that would shed some light on her niece’s situation. At least, she hoped she did.

* * *

Cordelia was in her office filling out some paperwork, until she heard a knock on the door. Without, turning herself away from her files she curtly told them to come in. 

“Now is that anyway to greet an old friend?”

The headmistress quickly turned to the voice that called her name. It really was quite a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. Cordelia smiled as she took off her glasses and went to the tall woman standing in the doorway.

“Darcey!” she cried.

The dark haired witch laughed as she embraced her old school mate. “It’s so good to see you, Delia. I’ve missed you!” 

“When did your flight get in? I thought you weren’t coming until three?”

Darcey smiled impishly. “Well, I wanted to surprise you and Leona and who doesn’t love a good surprise? Speaking of which, where is Leo?”

“I think she’s still in her room. I take it those are the rest of her things?” Cordelia was referring to the suitcase and guitar case. Leona came to the academy on such short notice, she had very few belongings with her. All she needed was more of her clothes and her trusty guitar. 

“I’m sure Spalding could have taken them upstairs for you.”

“Nah, I wanted to give them to her myself. Besides, my suitcase is already a burden to carry around. I wanted to spare the old man the trouble.”

“Are you sure that’s all of her clothes?” Cordelia asked. The baggage was pretty small.

“Sort of.” Darcey said nonchalantly. “I brought her favorite outfits, but I plan to take Leo shopping after lunch today.”

“Aw, how lovely. I’m sure she’ll have fun.”

Darcey sighed. “Well you know, she’s in a whole new place so, why not give her a whole new wardrobe to help boost her confidence?”

Cordelia understood what her old friend was trying to do. However, despite her good intentions, a new wardrobe was the last thing that girl needed. Leona had so many questions and Darcey was the only one to answer them. In fact, Cordelia had a few questions for her too.

“You mentioned in our last phone call you managed to find something about where her abilities may have come from. Do you think it will help set her mind at ease?”

Darcey sighed. Just because one of their ancestors had this particular power, doesn’t mean it would make her niece less anxious than she already was. “To be honest, I don’t know. I mean, maybe, a little. But, I fear this will only confuse her more.”

“Let’s hope for all our sakes it will.” Said an exasperated Cordelia. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s been well behaved these past few days, but I can definitely see where she gets her temper from.”

“Heh! A girl after my own heart!”

Even though Darcey found this amusing, Cordelia didn’t find the situation at all funny. Sure, Leona was feeling calm now, but she worried that her new powers could cause some serious damage if her new charge didn’t get it under control. Not only that, she could be a great risk to the coven if her new powers were discovered by their enemies outside the school. She hoped by the end of this visit, Darcey would be able to persuade her niece into trusting her more. 

“Come on, I’ll take you to her room. However, this isn’t over Darcey. You still owe me some answers.”

Darcey calmly smiled at her old friend. She really did care about her niece’s situation even if she didn’t show it. “I know I do, Delia. And you’ll get them, I promise. I’ll tell you tonight when we get back. But for now, I really do think Leo needs a proper girl’s day out. Once things quiet down in Vermont, I’ll be in Paris the whole season and my visits will be few and far between. It’ll probably be three months before I see her again.”

Perhaps the worried headmistress was criticizing her friend to harshly. Deep down, she really did have Leona’s best interests at heart. Darcey did place her in Cordelia’s care afterall.

* * *

Leona was surfing the web until she heard a faint knock on her door. She took out her earbuds and told whoever was out there to come in. 

“Did you miss me?” Darcey said as she walked in the room.

“Auntie!” Leona put her laptop aside and jumped off the bed to give her favorite relative a hug.

Cordelia walked in behind her friend. She smiled as she witnessed their happy reunion. Not wanting to feel like a third wheel, she decided to go back to her office and finish up her paperwork.

“I’ll leave you two alone to catch up.”

“Thanks Delia, see you tonight.”

Once the headmistress shut the door behind her, Darcey took the case from behind her and gave it to Leona. She smiled brightly as she hugged it to her chest. “My guitar! You remembered!”

“Well, of course I did!” Darcey said with a laugh. “What kind of aunt would I be if I forgot my favorite niece’s prized possession?”

Her niece smirked at her reply. “Okay first of all, I’m your only nice. Second, my prized possession happens to be my trusty camera.”

“Aw, what?” Darcey pouted. Leona really was related to her.

She laughed as she hugged her aunt. “But, my guitar does tie in pretty close with my camera. And I’m so glad you came to see me!” 

Darcey’s pouted quickly turned into a grin as she returned her relatives affection. “Oh, I know you were just pulling my leg, funny thing.” She kissed Leona’s forehead and caressed a strand of her wild, burgundy, mane. The fashion designer knew that her niece was all grown up, but she still couldn’t help but see the twenty-one year old witch as her little girl. Even though Leona wasn’t her daughter, Darcey still loved her as one.

“Oh! Before I forget.” Darcey took the suitcase with the rest of Leona’s things and placed them on the bed. “Here’s the rest of your clothes. I made sure that I packed all of your favorite tops, bottoms, and dresses in there.”

“Thanks Aunt Darcey, but…” Leona looked over the size of the bag. It looked like it wouldn't hold a year’s worth of clothes. “Are you sure it’ll be enough for me to wear? We still don’t know how long I’m going to stay here.”

“I know it won’t.” Darcey said casually. “That’s because I’m taking you on a little shopping spree in the French Quarter this afternoon.”

Leona smiled for a moment, but it faltered. “You really don’t have to do that, Auntie.”

“Of course I do! After everything you’ve gone through, you deserve a day of pampering.”

Now she was beginning to understand why her aunt was so insistent on this girl’s day out. Leona’s first week in New Orleans was pretty hectic, no doubt about that. However, the memories of what happened in Hellsalem’s Lot and the incident with her father still left a huge impact on her psyche. Darcey was trying her best to lift that weight off of her shoulders. It was very sweet of her aunt to do that for her. But deep down, Leona knew that a shopping spree wouldn’t make her forget what happened so easily. Even though Aunt Darcey was in the room with her, Leona could feel her father’s icy presence behind her. Like a vengeful spirit just waiting to take his revenge on the person who screwed him over in life. She knew he wasn’t there, but every time something good was happening, she could hear his condescending voice in her mind. Still telling her that, she’ll never be good enough and that she doesn’t deserve all the nice things that life had to offer. Even in the afterlife, Charles Watch still had a way of fucking with Leona’s head.

Darcey saw the distressed look on her nieces face. Fortunately, she knew how to turn this around. “Besides, it’s almost summer and you were in desperate need of a new sundress and a pair of capri shorts.”

That helped to get Leona to snap out of it. Darcey did have a point. Leona realized that her summer wardrobe was seriously lacking. She did plan to do some shopping once she completed her finals but of course, she never got around to it. “I guess you’re right. Plus, I kinda needed a new halter top anyway.”

“That’s the spirit! But before we do that, I got us a lunch reservation at Criollo in the Hotel Monteleone for one o’clock this afternoon. We should probably head out now so we don’t miss our table.”

Leona thought that her aunt was probably going a little too over the moon to cheer her up. But, she couldn’t say no to a good steak and a free shopping spree. Plus, she wouldn’t be seeing Darcey for a while after this visit. In the end, she was glad Aunt Darcey was making this special for her.

* * *

Once the pair arrived at the restaurant and ordered their food and drinks, they were able to relax and talk for awhile. Darcey haven't heard from Leona since she received her distressing call from her niece, begging her to come home. She hoped that her reassuring words helped Leona settle in her new environment better. However, the whole week she was frantic with worry. Just one day after her niece’s arrival, Cordelia messaged her about Leona’s outburst when she came home later than she said she would. Honestly, she was surprised. Yes, Leona became a bit rebellious as she entered young adulthood. But, slamming her fist in walls and straight up cursing at her elders? That didn’t sound like Leona at all.

Cordelia also mentioned Leona meeting with a witch who just so happens to have the power of resurgence. Not only that, she enlisted Leona into getting the swamp witch out of this puritan cult and join the coven. Darcey wasn’t exactly a happy camper when her old friend mentioned that bit. While she did care that one of their own was away from the commune as soon as possible, she didn’t like how Leona was the only one doing the rescuing and was in the most danger of getting caught. Especially when Darcey specifically requested Cordelia to house Leona and keep her out of said danger!

This wasn’t turning out like Darcey had hoped. She desperately wanted to believe Leona knew what she was doing. However, she doubted whatever her niece had to say would make her feel any less worried. Darcey took a gulp of her Martini to help calm her nerves. 

“So Leo, how was your first week here in New Orleans?”

After taking a sip of her Diet Peps, Leona fiddled with her hair. This felt so awkward. What exactly was she supposed to tell her? That she threw a tantrum on her second night at the academy and was tasked with a dangerous mission to rescue a witch from an Evangelical cult? That certainly wasn’t the best way to start off the conversation about her first week in the city. In the end, she decided to be coy. Hopefully Darcey wouldn’t ask too many questions.

“It was fine, I guess.” She stuffed a piece of bread in her mouth so she wouldn’t talk anymore.

“Really?” Darcey said with a hint of skepticism. 

Leona clearly wasn’t going to confide in her that easily. In the end, Darcey decided, ‘to heck with it’ and to go with the direct approach instead. Playing coy wasn’t her style anyway. “Because from I heard from Cordelia, you had quite an interesting week actually.”

Leona nearly choked on her bread. Did Cordelia tell her aunt everything that’s been going on? She wasn’t entirely surprised since they were best friends and all. However, this still pissed off Leona to a degree. Some things really should be kept confidential, especially since she was a full grown adult.

Leona took another sip of her soda to wash down the bread. “What did she tell you, exactly?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just that you threw a bit of a temper tantrum, even though you were out past curfew. And that you’ve met a pretty strong witch out in the swamp and you’ve been entrusted to convince her to join the coven. However, that was Cordelia’s side of the story. Care to explain, Leona?”

Leona felt mortified. Of course, Cordelia would tell her everything! She hoped that the headmistress would keep the last bit a secret until Misty was safely at the academy. At least Darcey was understanding enough to hear her niece’s perspective on the matter. But it still didn’t make this conversation any easier.

“Okay, about my little ‘tantrum’, I think it was justifiable.”

Darcey crossed her arms. “I’m listening.”

“Yes, I did say that I would be back by around six, but being late was out of my control. I got lost while I was on a tour of the swamp. I tripped and hurt my leg while I was running away from horny rednecks and I was getting patched up by Misty. Also, I didn’t miss curfew. I may have heard Ms. Cordelia wrong, but I know she said the actual curfew was 11:45 PM. If anything, she was more in the wrong than I was!”

Her aunt let out a frustrated sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I had a feeling Delia was overreacting. But still Leo, you really should have been more careful. I know things were out of your control, but you should have texted her once you were out of trouble.”

“How!?” Leona stood up from her seat. People were starting to stare. Darcey understood her niece was upset, but she thought Leona had more class than this.

“Please calm down, Leona. Your disturbing the other patrons.”

Leona sat back down. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her hair. “Sorry. What I meant was, I couldn’t have texted her because there wasn’t any signal near the Bayou. When Cordelia called there was only one bar on my phone.”

“Okay, that makes sense. But, I hope you won’t judge Delia too harshly. These are dangerous times, Leona and we have to look out for each other now more than ever.”

“I know that.” The troubled witch took another piece of bread and stared out the window. “I just don’t like being treated like I’m some sort of special case, when everyone’s situation isn’t that different from mine. I never asked for these stupid eyes, Auntie.”

Despite Darcey’s best intentions for her niece, she did understand how frustrated Leona was. It wasn’t her fault that destiny had chosen her to become a witch. Every witch’s life is filled with struggle and turmoil. However, even though Leona didn’t like being treated as one, she was a special case. The all-seeing-eyes of the gods were extremely rare commodities that have overseen countless historic events over the past centuries. Why her and Michael were the ones given the choice as to who would receive the gifts, she didn’t know. It could have been a wrong place, wrong time scenario. Darcey realized this as a fact, the gods worked in mysterious ways. There had to be a reason why Leona was chosen?

However, she understood this wouldn’t give her niece any comfort. “I know you didn’t, Hon. But trust me, we only want you to be safe.”

Leona scowled. Her aunt didn’t get the whole picture. “If anything, her students should be put on a tighter leash, not me.”

Her Aunt looked confused. “I don’t understand, I thought Cordelia told me you were getting along well with Queenie and Nan.”

“I am. I mean yeah, they’re difficult in their own way but they’re nice enough. I was referring to Madison in particular. She’s kind of the reason I’m still upset that Cordelia chewed me out when I came home that night.”

Darcey took another sip of her drink. She had a feeling this was going to be an interesting story. “Go on.”

“Queenie and Nan told me that after Ms. Cordelia called off the search for me, Madison, who is barely eighteen mind you, went out partying all night and sleeping off a hangover the next morning!”

Darcey’s eyes opened wide. This really was unfair. However, Leona wasn’t finished yet. She leaned over the table and whispered. 

“But, that’s not all. This past week, I found out some pretty disturbing information as to why she was staying at the school thanks to Nan. Apparently, while she was working on a show, the director was killed on set because of a falling stage light. However, Madison was the one who unscrewed the bolt with her telekinesis. In the public eye, it was an accident, but her manger knows she’s a witch and that she killed him on purpose. All because she wouldn’t hit her mark!”

Her aunt felt like they were going to need a full bottle of wine after hearing that. This was more than unfair, this was completely unsettling. Even though Leona’s actions against her father were disturbing, she didn’t know what she was doing and she felt great remorse afterward. Madison Montgomery had no conscience at all. Darcey had known that Cordelia’s charges were troubled but she didn’t expect this at all. Apparently, her old friend was having more difficulties than what she was leading on.

Darcey placed her face in her hands, still reeling from what her niece told her. “I… I don’t know what to say, Leo. I really don’t. I’ll talk to Cordelia about it tonight. But enough about that for now. Can you tell me more about the situation with Misty?”

Leona was actually pretty relieved when her aunt brought up her friend. She’s been wanting to talk about her for a while. However, she wanted to talk about her in person once Darcey came down to New Orleans. “Honestly, I thought I’d never meet one of our kind outside the academy. It was kind of odd how we met, really. I was hiding in the hollow of an old tree from those rednecks but she knew where I was. She told me that my magic lead her to me.”

“It’s actually not that surprising. Many of us can detect the life force of another witch within a certain radius. When she said your magic was what helped her find you, she was actually detecting your life force.”

“Wow, I didn’t know we could do that.” Leona wondered why she wasn’t able to detect the magical energy of her sister witches. It could have been because she wasn’t a particularly strong witch. Or, it could be that she can see the overwhelming auras surrounding the witches around her, thanks to her new eyes. The realm of witches never ceased to make Leona more and more confused. 

“Anyway, she’s been living in this religious commune for a while now. And I can’t understand why, but I have a feeling that her days living there are numbered. Auntie, I have to know… do you believe that those people would really kill Misty just because she’s a witch?”

Darcey knew the answer to that. She took off her glasses and looked at her niece directly in the eyes. “Yes, I do.”

The young witch felt her heart sink down to her stomach. “Ms. Cordelia said as much. Misty did tell me that the elders of the commune have become more suspicious as to why she is constantly absent. Although, I’m not sure if they believe she’s a witch. That’s why I wanted to believe for a best case scenario that they just kick her out. However, I guess that’s impossible to hope for now. They’re definitely going to find out about her abilities sooner or later.”

“They might, yes. If I’m being honest Leo, I’m not in love with the idea of you being the one taking on this rescue mission by yourself. I need you to answer me honestly, do you think you’ll be able to get Misty away from that cult as soon as possible?

This was a pretty loaded question. There was a lot of pressure on Leona to get her new friend to safety as quickly as she can. However, she was fairly confident she would be able to persuade Misty into joining the coven. After what happened with Misty the day before her aunt arrived, the swamp witch was lonely even within the commune. She liked Leona enough that she didn’t want to let her go. Leona was sure that after their tour of New Orleans, Misty would love to stay at the academy with her.

“I know I can, Auntie.” The young witch said assuredly. “Misty’s really taken a liking to me this past week, and I think she knows that she’s wearing out her welcome in the commune. Actually, she’s going to spend the day with me here in the city on Monday. I’m certain once she’s seen how great this place is and I tell her about the academy, she’ll want to leave the commune of her own accord.”

Darcey sighed. She was glad that her niece had a plan, but there was still a chance that Misty would still be hesitant to join the coven right away. Not only that, there was a big risk that Leona could get hurt by the people of the commune, not just Misty. However, Darcey knew she didn’t have the power to stop her. She took her niece’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “I want to believe that everything will turn out okay, I really do. However, you know that I’m not going to stop worrying about this. So, I need you to promise me something… please, please, _ please _be very careful. These people are crazy and they won’t hesitate to kill you and Misty if they get the chance. Promise me you won’t give them that chance.”

The direness of the situation began to weigh heavily on Leona’s shoulders. Even her aunt believed that those people would kill her and her friend if they found about who the were. She honestly wasn’t sure if she could make this promise. Yes, Misty had gotten closer to her and there was a big chance she was willing to leave the cult on her own. It was a matter of getting her out that was a big issue. She didn’t have much to carry, but there was a possibility that the elders would try to stop her and maybe even hurt her just to keep Misty in line. The very thought of those people killing them both made her want to chicken out. However, deep down Leona knew she could never leave a friend hanging like that. Especially if they are living in a toxic environment.

Leona was still unsure that they would get out of this unscathed. But nonetheless, she didn’t want her aunt to worry anymore than she had to. She squeezed her aunt’s hand in return. “I promise.”

Darcey let out a sigh of relief. “That’s all I needed to hear.” 

Her aunt was still worried, of course but she trusted Leona not to be reckless. Now that they finally went over all of Leona’s current events, it was Darcey’s turn to talk. Not only did she want to know more about where her new power came from, she wanted to get an update on her family. Even though she hadn’t contacted her family since her arrival, she didn’t receive anything from them either. That was very disconcerting.

“So um, now that that’s out of the way, did you find anything about… you know?”

The fashion designer put on her glasses and pushed them up her nose. “I did. However, it would seem that only one of ancestors possessed the ability that you have now. On top of that, he was a warlock.”

“You’re kidding me!” Leona didn’t expect this at all. Out of all of their relatives from the past, only one of them mastered this kind of power. To make matters more confusing, the owner of that ability was a man! “What can you tell me about him?”

“His name was Demetre Emile Watch.” She started. “He was born in 1889 and died in 1928. Even though Demetre was born here in the United States he spent a majority of his life in France. Just like all of our ancestors, he was a shapeshifter. However, he was also able to master just one of the seven wonders. The very same power that you inherited.”

“Really? Out of all of the seven wonders, that was the only one he possessed?” Leona asked.

“Don’t forget, he was a warlock and they are the weakest among us. Anyway, while he wasn’t powerful he did spent a great deal of his life studying our kind. He wanted to know the answers behind our… ‘condition’ as he put it. Why some families carried the bloodline, why we possessed specific abilities and why these fanatic religions wanted to kill us off. Honestly, I think he wanted to know why witches existed in the first place.”

Throughout her adolescence, Leona’s aunt had told her about their ancestors, but Demetre was the most fascinating by far. Unlike her other relatives, he wanted to know more about his kind. Maybe he wanted to find a way to protect them?

“Hmmm… Maybe he discovered that witches are a rare, but evolved species of humanity? Except that some humans have become more evolved than others. However, because women were the majority who possessed these powers, religious men feared that this would break the status quo. They were scared that women would hold more power than they would and tried to prevent that from happening by killing us off. Am I making any sense, Auntie?”

Darcey pondered for a bit. “You might not be that far from the truth. Witches are something of a superhuman race and we may be higher on the evolutionary scale than the human majority. However, it’s like what you said. Some people are still living in the dark ages and refuse to accept people who are different from them despite their genders. Poor Demetre knew first hand what it was like to be an outcast, and not just because he was a witch.”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“He never married or had children of his own. I found out in a journal that he kept that he was in love with a young French man by the name of Henri. And of course, the times being what they were… he couldn’t go back home.”

Leona looked downcast. She knew many of their relatives must have suffered the same loneliness she had, but her heart ached for Demetre in particular. At least he had Henri, but it must have sucked to never see his family again. “So, he never contacted any members of his family?”

“Not necessarily true. He did have a sister, who was his oldest fraternal twin, that he kept in contact with. However, they had to be written in secret away from their authoritarian father.”

“Witches having shitty fathers seems to be a recurring theme here.” She said with a deadpan voice.

“It gets better, don’t worry. His sister Charlotte did get married and not long afterward, got pregnant with her first born daughter named Bella. That child grew up to become a witch.”

Leona’s eyes opened wide. She was told that witches didn’t appear in every generation of her family. More often than not, generations were skipped. However, Demetre’s niece was born right after her uncle’s generation. Just like how Leona was a witch born right after her Aunt’s!

“Oh my god! Did Demetre become a mentor to his niece, just like you did with me?”

Darcey’s smile faltered. “Sadly, that never came to pass. He was able to meet Bella as soon as she was born and held her in his arms for the first time. But unfortunately, he succumbed to syphilis shortly afterward.”

“Oh…” Leona hoped that this story had a happier outcome than that. But, Darcey wasn’t finished yet.

“However, just before he wrote his final journal entry, Demetre requested Charlotte to give Bella his journal once she was old enough. His last entry was a farewell message addressed to his niece. She kept her uncle’s journal up until her death, Leo. And now…” Darcey reached into her purse and pulled out a hardcover book. “It’s your turn to have it. Happy Birthday, sweetie. I don’t know a lot about your new power. But, maybe Great Great Uncle Demetre can help you. His journal was originally in French, but I had a translated copy made just for you. I hope it will help shed some light on your situation, Leona. I really do.”

Leona’s aunt handed the book to her. It was a plain burgundy hardcover with no title. She flipped through its pages from front to back. Darcey really did turn their relative’s journal into a novel just for her niece to read. Even though she was mildly disappointed her aunt was just as clueless as she was about her new ability, Darcey had a point. Only Demetre had this sort of power and he was the only one who could help Leona to understand it. Who knows? Perhaps he managed to find a solution on how to control it?

She held the book close to her chest and smiled. “Thanks, Auntie. I’ll take good care of it.”

“I know you will, hon.”

“But, I’m curious.” Leona said out of the blue. “Did you get a chance to read his journal yourself?”

Darcey shifted in her seat. “I only read the important parts about his studies, how he managed to control his powers and I skimmed over his farewell letter to his niece. I’m not gonna lie, some of the stuff that he wrote hit a little too close to home…”

“Really, how?”

Leona’s aunt had trouble finding the words. She wanted to tell her everything. About her family life, her strained relationship with her parents and especially her hatred for her deceased older brother. Darcey wanted Leona to know every horrible thing that her father did in the past. She knew Leona would understand since her brother made his beloved niece suffer in silence too. However, her voice was still caught in her throat. Even though she was very close to Leona, this wasn’t the easiest topic to talk about. Plus, Darcey knew that this wasn’t the right discussion to have in a public place. There would most definitely be tears involved, and she hated crying in public. She had to tell Leona everything, just not in that moment.

Darcey took a gulp of her drink and took a deep breath. “That’s a story for another day. But, enough about that right now. Is there anything else you want to know?”

Leona pouted. Of course there would be more secrets. However, she knew better than to press for answers when someone isn’t ready to talk about their problems. Instead, she decided to ask about her family. She was wondering how her brother Michael was holding up. “How’s everyone back home? Is Michael doing okay without me?”

Darcey let out a frustrated sigh. “If you must know, he’s been giving me the silent treatment ever since you left.”

“Pfft! Is that so? Haha!” It was hard to contain her laughter. 

Despite Leona’s brother being sickly since they were kids, he was known in the family to be very strong willed. On top of that, he would act all moody but say everything was fine. Despite being as thick as thieves, Michael would get mad once in a blue moon for no reason at all. Leona always thought this attitude only applied to girls. But, she supposed some guys feel this way too once in a while. Even so, it drove her family nuts when Michael pulled out his silent treatment card.

Darcey continued to pout. “Apparently, having his big sister spirited away by my mentor and her strapping bodyguards in black suits is enough to get me on his bad side.” 

“Well, when you put it like that, can you really blame him?”

“No.” She sighed. “But he hasn’t talked to me in a week, Leona! How could he do this to his favorite Auntie?”

“Actually…” Leona started to snicker. “I hate to disappoint you, but your not his favorite aunt. Michael’s favorite is Aunt Bianca.” 

“Seriously!? How could she be his favorite-” Darcey stopped to think for a moment. Her face turned neutral when she faced Leona. “It’s the cannolis isn’t it?”

“Aunt Bianca does make a pretty damn good cannoli.” Even though she wasn’t Leona’s number one favorite relative, even she had to admit her pastries were to die for.

“So all I have to do to earn his trust back is to buy him a bunch of Italian pastries?”

“Nope, you’d have to make them yourself. But only Aunt Bianca knows the recipe.”

“Goddammit!” 

“At least it’s good to know he’s doing okay.” Leona said while trying to calm her laughter. “However, I’m surprised that he hasn’t called.”

“Well, despite his attitude towards me at the moment. Deep down, he does know that your situation is serious. He was probably worried about causing you trouble and that’s why he hasn’t contacted you yet. I’m sure it’ll be fine if you call Michael and let him know your okay.”

Even though she was happy she got the green light to call her brother, Leona was still reluctant to act on that. Ever since Hellsalem’s Lot and their father’s death. It’s been awkward between the two siblings. Leona didn’t know about how Michael felt about the whole situation. Unlike Leona who was in hysterics when she gained the all-seeing-eyes of the gods, Michael was completely calm. He was the one who made the choice for his sister to have the eyes, so of course he was content living with the consequences. However, Charles’ death was another story. Michael’s relationship with his father was rocky but not as intense like Leona’s. But she still didn’t know what he was feeling regarding their father’s early demise. They never had the chance to actually talk about it. Honestly, she’d prefer to talk about with him face to face rather than over the phone. In the end, it was probably for the best to give it a little more time.

“Yeah, I guess…” Leona wanted to change the topic as soon as possible. “How’s Mom?”

“She was pretty shaken up after you were taken away, but she’s calmed down since then.”

It was good to hear that her mother was doing alright. However… “Did she say anything about wanting to come with you on this trip? To check up on me in person?”

“No, she didn’t say anything about wanting to come with me. She just wanted an update on how you were settling in.”

Leona slumped into her seat. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. But then again, she wasn’t surprised. “Figures.”

“Now, Leo-”

“She always does this!” Leona exasperated. “Every time the subject of witches and magic comes up, she always changes the subject or suddenly has to run off to do some errand! Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was secretly glad that I’m gone.”

“Leona!” Darcey looked at her niece with a stern expression. She understood what her niece was going through but she felt like Leona was selling her mother short. “Now you know that’s not true. This whole situation has been hard on all of us, especially your mother. She was really worried about you fitting in your new environment and she wants you to be safe.”

“Then why couldn’t she come down here and tell me all this herself?”

“She needed to stay behind to look after your brother. Plus, I’m still doing damage control. People talk, Leona and the gossip train isn’t stopping anytime soon.”

Okay, taking care of Michael was a good reason to stay behind. However, the way Darcey was saying how their community was still talking about what happened, it made Leona feel more of an embarrassment.

“I didn’t mean to do it, you know…” Leona said sadly.

“I know you didn’t.”

Leona didn’t want to talk anymore. She didn’t want to think about how much of a liability she was to her family. She was glad she was finally going to get some answers thanks to her relative’s journal. However, the feeling of shame didn’t leave her. It ate at her while the image of her father continued mocking her behind her back. Fortunately, their food had finally arrived. The pair ate their meals in silence the rest of the afternoon. 


	8. Chapter 8

Once Cordelia managed to get through her paperwork, she spent the rest of the day in the greenhouse. The whole time she was wondering how Darcey and Leona’s lunch and shopping trip went. She hoped her friend was able to tell her troubled niece what she needed to know about her new powers. On top of that, the headmistress was worried about how Darcey would react to Leona’s task to retrieve Misty Day. Cordelia said as much over the phone with her. She could tell that her old schoolmate wasn’t happy about it, but she assured her that Leona could handle this mission with little to no hardship. However, Darcey wasn’t convinced that Leona would get out of this completely unscathed and the troubled headmistress didn’t blame her. Cordelia’s mother always said that she lacked charisma. She hoped that Leona was able to put her aunt’s mind at ease.

Cordelia was about to move on to another plant pot, until Darcey showed up in the doorway. “Still have that green thumb like you did back in school, eh? Color me impressed, Delia. The greenhouse looks wonderful!”

The headmistress put down her sheers to face her friend. “You’re back a little later than I expected. Did you two have a good time today?”

“We did indeed.” Darcey said with the familiar flair that Cordelia was so fond of. “We had lunch, we went shopping, did a little sightseeing, took her to a lovely dinner at August tonight and…” The fashion designer removed her hands behind her back to reveal a bottle of rosé, Cordelia’s favorite wine.

The headmistress smiled as she took the bottle from her friend. “Oh Darcey, you didn’t have to do this! I know you like to buy the good stuff, but this must have been expensive.”

“Don’t worry about it! Besides, I wanted to go into town and get you a present anyway. Now, why don’t you put your sheers away and take a break? The night’s still young and it’s nice and warm outside.”

As much as Cordelia wanted to finish her remedy, she was getting pretty tired. On top of that, she could use a drink. “Okay, if you’re going to twist my arm. I’ll go get the wine glasses and the bottle opener. Why don’t you prepare some snacks? There’s some Italian bread and olive oil and I think the girls bought a cheese plate the other day.”

“Sounds good to me!”

Once the two witches got everything together, they set up their little wine party on the patio in the back of the house. The evening was pleasantly warm and the crickets were chirping softly. Fireflies flickered about the back lawn, indicating summer’s fast arrival. Once Darcey got the bottle opened, the two friends immediately dug into their late night treat.

“Oh yeah, this is definitely the good stuff.” Said Cordelia as she sipped her wine with glee.

“Only the best for my best friend.” 

“Wow, you guys must have had a really good day if you’re in a good mood! Remember when Myrtle would take the two of us out on the town when we were students here?”

Her old friend laughed, reminiscing about the good old days back at the academy. “Haha! I do indeed.” 

Myrtle Snow was the fun auntie that both of them always wanted. Actually… no, it was more than that. She was the mother they wished they had. Because of Cordelia and Darcey’s complex relationships with their own mothers, Myrtle was always there to fill in the void. However, the eccentric redhead wasn’t just a surrogate mother to Cordelia and Darcey. She was also an excellent teacher. Before Myrtle became the head of the council, she was the former headmistress of Miss Robichaux's Academy. She taught them everything they needed to know about magic. Myrtle even showed them how to hone their new abilities as they got older. Despite being an eccentric, she was very wise and helped Darcey and Cordelia reach their full potential as much as she could.

Darcey sighed as she remembered the tail end of her youth. “God, I love that crazy redhead. I really do owe her a lot. It’s all thanks to her that I managed to get my start in the fashion industry.”

“Did you ever imagine you would be running one of the biggest fashion empires in the country?” Cordelia asked her friend.

“Honestly, I didn’t. I mean, yeah I thought it would be semi successful. However, I didn’t expect it to get this huge.”

“Well, at least one of us managed to find their potential.” She said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Darcey put her glass down and looked at her friend. “What do you mean? You’re the headmistress of an elite boarding school, training the next generation of witches! I thought you would be proud of that?”

“I only have four students who are all rebellious and don’t trust my teaching philosophy at all.”

The designer felt sympathetic towards the troubled headmistress. Darcey knew that Cordelia was struggling to keep the school afloat, but she didn’t know she was having this much trouble. “Maybe you should consider a new teaching method?”

“I don’t even know anymore. They think I’m trying to suppress their powers. Perhaps they’re right. I just don’t want anymore of us to die out. Our numbers are dwindling enough as it is.”

Darcey took her friend’s hand. “Delia, I don’t believe we’re a dying breed. If our kind was clever enough to escape Salem, then our kind is clever enough to face the challenges we are in now. They’re just scared is all. But, try not to lose heart okay. Our luck will come around eventually, you’ll see.”

Fortunately, that managed to get a smile out of Cordelia. Darcey always did have a way with words. “Good to know that you believe in me. Glad to hear that I’m not a total failure for once.”

“Oh come on, Delia! Don’t tell me you believe everything that old crone says?”

The headmistress chuckled. She hadn’t heard Darcey call her mother a crone in ages. “You know my mother would kill you if she heard you say that, right?”

“Pft! I’d like to see her try. Supreme my ass… from what I’ve heard from Myrtle, Fiona’s missed yet another yearly summit gathering. On top of that, two winter petitions have gone unsigned and she believes that the one for next winter will also remain blank.”

Darcey sighed in frustration. “Let’s face it Delia, we may as well have been without a supreme for the last forty years.”

Cordelia wanted to say something to defend Fiona. Despite being the selfish woman that she is, she was still her mother. However, she couldn’t deny that her friend and Auntie Myrtle was wrong. Over the past several years Fiona Goode has been gallivanting around the world. Even though she held the title of Supreme, she certainly didn’t act like one.

“Well, you’re not wrong.” Cordelia said with a hint of sadness.

“Where is she now, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Last I heard she's been staying in Europe for the past year.”

This was something Darcey did not want to hear. “Oh god, she’s not going to be in Paris in time for the fall show, is she?”

The headmistress pondered for a bit. “I don’t know. It could be possible she might want to see the fall collection. Plus, she has the ability to sneak into the event even if she is uninvited.”

“Ugh… I swear, if I see her there, it’s going to take a lot of willpower not to throw my champagne at her!”

Cordelia laughed. Darcey was probably the only one besides Myrtle Snow to have such unadulterated loathing for her mother. But then again, Cordelia hated Fiona too. Well, to an extent at least.

“Ha! I’d pay to see that. But enough about Fiona right now. Tell me more about your afternoon with Leona. Did you manage to tell her more about her powers?”

Darcey stopped her wine glass at her lips when her friend asked that question. Cordelia still had some questions for her and she did promise her friend that she would tell her what she knew about her new charge. She sighed as she put down her glass on the table. “Actually, I wasn’t being entirely honest with you. Yes, our girls day out ended on a good note but lunch was kind of a rocky start.”

The headmistress put her own drink down and gave her friend a doubtful look. “I don’t understand. You were able to find out more about her ability, right?”

“Well, sort of… I did tell Leo about the warlock whom she inherited her power from and gave her his journal. But, that’s pretty much it. I tried to make sense out of his writings but to no avail. Since I don’t possess that power I couldn’t really relate. So, I thought it was for the best to just give Leona the translated copy of Demetre’s journal and she could learn from that.”

“Hmm… She probably would have felt better to know more from you, rather than some old journal.” 

The fashion designer knew that her friend had a point. But still, she knew that Demetre was the only one who could give Leona any clarity on her new power. “You’re probably right. But, Leona accepted the journal without any reservations. However, that’s not the reason why lunch ended on such a sour note.”

“What happened?”

“When Leo asked about how her mother was doing, she was upset that Isabella didn’t ask to come along with me to see her. The poor girl thinks that her mother is glad that she’s been sent away.”

“Can’t say that I blame her.” Cordelia said as she stared at her reflection in the wine. “I felt the same way when Fiona dropped me off here.”

“Don’t get me wrong, Isabella’s great and all but she’s still clueless about our world. That’s pretty much why I needed to step up and be Leo’s second mother.”

“Right…” Her old friend’s words reminded her of their graduation day. She remembered how Darcey said she wanted to leave her family and past behind her. To start a new beginning for herself and never look back. However, she did go back to her family and Cordelia never understood why. After everything her devil of a brother had done to make her life miserable, why go back to the home and people she despised?

“Darcey, I have to know… the night of our graduation, you told me you wanted absolutely nothing to do with your family ever again. You wanted to leave the memories of the abuse behind and live a free and successful life. But years later, you went back… why? After everything your brother put you through, why did you decide to go back home? Was it because of Leona? Did you always know she was destined to become one of us?”

Darcey looked out into the night sky, feeling wistful. It was hard to explain why she opted to go back home so many times, but she was willing to try. 

“At first, I didn’t know why I felt the need to go home. When Dad told me that Charles was getting married and wanted me to come home to attend the wedding, I refused without any hesitation. However, he told me that he’d changed and that his fiance made him a better person than he was in the past. I didn’t believe him of course, but he pulled the ‘we miss you’ and ‘we haven’t seen you in years’ guilt cards. So, I reluctantly agreed to come home but only for that weekend. The morning after the wedding, I planned to get away as quickly as possible. Or, so I thought…”

“What made you decide to stay?” Cordelia asked.

“Before I arrived, I had misconceived notions about the bride. I thought that she was probably a gold digger and was only marrying Charles for his money. If that was the case, then they definitely deserved each other. However, when I finally met my future sister-in-law, she wasn’t like I had imagined her at all. Unlike my brother, who hadn’t changed much, she was warm, open and kind. I didn’t know why at the time, but something was telling me that I needed to stick around. I stayed home longer than I thought I would. We got along just fine and I grew to love Isabella like she was my own. But for the life of me, I didn’t know why I needed to be around her.”

“It must have been painful, being around Charles I mean.” The headmistress admitted. She knew how much Darcey loathed her brother and that it must have been torment whenever they crossed paths.

“It wasn’t easy, that's for sure. Charles wasn’t so keen on me hanging around his wife. He even accused me of trying to seduce his wife behind his back.” 

“Pft! Well, can you blame him?”

“What can I say, I can’t help it if I have that kind of affect over women! Anyway we’re getting off topic. Soon, I began to understand why I couldn’t leave Isabella’s side. Just a year after they were married, she was pregnant with Leona. The feeling I had as to why I needed to stay became stronger than ever. When she was born and Isabella let me hold my niece for the first time… I knew… I knew she was destined to become a witch. That was the reason why I needed to stay. Not for Isabella, but for her daughter.”

Cordelia’s eyes opened wide. “You could really tell that Leona was one of us just by holder her in your arms?”

“While it’s true that a witch’s abilities emerge during early adolescence, babies who will become witches give off very small bursts of magical energy. When I held her, that feeling was so strong that there wasn’t any doubt in my mind that she was a part of our kind. I knew that Charles was going to make that girl’s life a living hell. Like I said, Isabella is a great mom, but she wasn’t strong enough to stand up to her husband completely. I needed to be the one to protect her.”

“Jesus…” Cordelia said breathlessly. “Wait, you told me that Leona’s powers emerged when she was thirteen, right? Have you thought about sending her here?”

“At first, no.” Darcey admitted. “For the first two years I decided to take on the role as her mentor. Being family and all, I figured it would help transition her into her powers easier. However, with the growing success of my company, I couldn’t always be there for her. So, when Leo was just about to enter high school, I brought up the idea of sending her to Miss Robichaux's to her mother. She rejected the idea immediately. Isabella was raised on how family is sacred and she hated the idea of being separated from her kids before they turned eighteen. Besides, she trusted me enough to continue to be her mentor whenever I was back home. So, the thought of sending Leona here was pretty much off the table. Looking back on it now, I should have pushed harder. Maybe then, all of the strife Leona is going through might have been avoided.”

“It must have been hard to believe when you found out that Leo had gained possession of the all-seeing-eyes, huh?”

“Are you kidding?” Darcey exasperated. “I didn’t expect that at all! When Michael lost the use of his legs, Charles was desperate to find a cure. I was surprised when he came to me to help his son walk again. But, I told them that I wasn’t a miracle worker and that he’d just have to deal with it.”

“I’m guessing he didn’t take it that well.”

“Nope… He immediately called me useless and said that if I couldn’t cure his son, then he’d look for help elsewhere. I could feel it in my bones that he was planning on taking his family to Hellsalem’s Lot. Dammit! I told the idiot that he would be putting his family in danger if he went through with his plan! But of course, the selfish bastard did it anyway and in the end his children paid the price…”

Cordelia shook her head. She’d heard this story before, but it was still hard to believe that this turn of events had happened. “Then when they got home, that was when Leona…”

Darcey gripped her glass so tightly that her friend was worried she would break it and cut her hand in the process. “Tch! Lucky girl beat me to it!”

The timid headmistress stared at the peeved ravenette in shock. “You… you don’t really mean that… Do you?”

The features around Darcey’s face softened a bit. Replaced by a look of deep sadness. “No, I mean, not entirely. It’s just, *_ sigh* _ when your own brother tricks you into doing… something like that… especially when you’re a naive teenager, a closeted lesbian and a witch on top of that… It’s not exactly forgivable.”

Cordelia felt her heart break for her friend. She remembered the one gathering when Darcey finally opened up about the incident that took place when she was only fifteen. Myrtle was absolutely furious. Not at Darcey, but at her family for letting Charles get away with it while the poor, young, witch had to be sent away for something that wasn’t her fault. Myrtle Snow was usually a pretty calm woman but when something got her angry enough, her temper was more fiery than her red hair. 

The headmistress held her friend’s hand tightly. “I can’t even imagine what that must feel like… But Darcey, have you told Leona about this?”

She sighed. “I wanted to. But, even if she is my closest family member… it’s not that simple.”

“I know. But, Leo’s all grown up now and she had to live with the man for twenty-one years. I’m sure she of all people knows what kind of snake Charles Watch was.”

Snake? Oh no… being called a snake was putting it mildly. The man was fucking Lucifer incarnate! When Darcey moved back to Vermont she kept a very close eye on her older brother. Sure, he acted like the perfect family man in public. But behind closed doors, she knew how much he was making his own family suffer. Now, he never placed a hand on his family. However, he was always good at gaslighting and emotional manipulation. 

Darcey knew that Charles was cheating on sweet Isabella with one of the nurses at his hospital. Deep down Isabella probably knew it too, but because of her familial beliefs, she didn’t have the courage to leave him. His son Michael was his golden child and it would seem that he really did love him. But of course, that’s only scratching the surface. Michael was nothing more than his marionette. To him, Michael was just a new RPG player, to live his life through his son. But when he got sick and lost the use of his legs, he became yet another failure child in Charles’ eyes. 

And Leona? Poor Leona had suffered the most of his abuse. Again, he never laid a finger on his daughter. However, when something didn’t go right, he always took it out on her. Even when things were going wonderfully for her, Charles always found a way to ruin it. For instance, when she got the lead role in the fall musical of her junior year, he deliberately missed it to fool around with his mistress. When she got second place in the school’s photography contest, he simply told her that second place meant she was a second rate photographer. And the third time… oh, this one made Darcey’s blood boil every time she thought about it. 

Leona finally found a date to her senior prom and her sweet niece was beaming with joy. Darcey even went as far as to design and make Leona’s gown for her as a birthday gift. However, when the night of the dance arrived, her date called at the last minute saying he was going to prom with someone else. The poor girl was absolutely devastated. The entire evening, Leona locked herself up in her room just crying her eyes out. Darcey was just as upset as well as dumbfounded. She didn’t know Leona’s date too well, but he seemed decent enough. So, what went wrong? Unfortunately, her niece found out the hard way. Later that night, Leona went downstairs to get herself some ice cream when she passed by her father’s study and overheard her father talking on the phone. She didn’t hear much of the conversation, but she heard enough to fully understand why her date stood her up. Apparently, Charles paid the daughter of one of his co-workers to seduce Leona’s boyfriend the day before prom. He called to tell the seductress that Leona had no idea he was behind it, and that he would wire her the money soon. This didn’t surprise Darcey in the slightest. She knew first hand how manipulative and cruel her brother was. It’s just… she didn’t expect he would pull this sort of trick on his own daughter. But looking back on her own past relationship with Charles, she should have known he would do something like that, even to his own family.

Darcey took her glasses off to wipe away a few stray tears. “I should have pushed harder. At least Leona would have been as far away from her monster of a father as possible. Better yet, I should have taken all of them away from that house, even if I had to use my own magic to make it happen.”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Darcey.” Cordelia tried to console her friend as much as she could. “You’ve done everything you could to protect your family. I know how much you love Isabella and her children and that you would do anything for them.”

“The problem is that I didn’t do enough.” She said, the guilt still weighing heavily on her chest.

“But you’re doing everything now! Thanks to your quick thinking, Leona will be safe here. And Charles can no longer hurt you or your family.”

Darcey smiled a bit, but then it faltered. There were still some reservations that she had about sending her niece to the academy. “To be honest Delia, a part of me wonders if I’ve made the right choice in sending her here.”

“I don’t understand, what do you mean?”

Darcey took a sip of her wine to calm her nerves. “During lunch, Leo told me some pretty disturbing things about one of your students. Madison Montgomery I think her name is.”

Cordelia knew this would come up sooner or later. She let out a frustrated sigh and gulped her rosé down. “What about her?”

“Apparently, one of your charges told Leona about how she wound up here in the first place. That she killed the director of a new show with her telekinesis all because he was giving her an order to hit her mark correctly. If she’s that volatile, I’m worried Leo’s safety could be compromised if she’s caught in the crossfire.”

The headmistress understood that her friend had every right to be worried. However, Madison wasn’t as bad as she appeared to be. “I understand your concerns but you have nothing to worry about. Madison is a very spirited and willful girl, it’s true. However, I don’t think she would ever hurt your niece. Out of all the rehabilitation facilities she’s been too, this is the longest she’s lasted. Besides, Leo’s proven she can handle her own with Madison. Queenie told me how Leona was able to push her down a peg with just a stern talking to. No fists were involved, no mean words were said, and no magic was used. Out of all my girls Leona is the most mature enough to handle her.”

The fashion designer felt a little sheepish. Perhaps she did underestimate niece? Despite Leona also being a very willful person, she was very in tune with her maternal instincts and was a pacifist at heart. No doubt she got that from her mother. However, while her worries about Madison had gone down to green, her other worries were still in the red. “There’s one more thing… it’s this whole Misty Day rescue mission. I just… I don’t know, maybe I should just put everything on hold and step in to help. Leona told me she has things under control, but I have this feeling in my gut that something’s gonna go wrong”

Of course Darcey would still be reluctant to have her niece go through with the plan. Cordelia didn’t blame her though. If she had a close relative on a dangerous assignment, she would be reluctant to let them go it alone too. But fortunately, Leona wouldn’t be completely alone. On top of that, her new charge pretty much had everything well in hand. 

“Again, I understand. But, Leona has this taken care of. From what we both heard, Misty Day absolutely adores her and Leo has gained more than enough of her trust. I’m sure that within a week, Misty will be out of that commune and in our care.”

Darcey was about to reply but her friend stopped her. “Plus, I know you’re finishing up damage control in Vermont. Also, you also have a strict deadline for the fall collection. What are you going to say to your sponsors when you don’t finish in time for Paris Fashion Week?”

As much as she hated to admit it, Cordelia was right. She really did want to stay behind and help her niece, that’s for certain. But it’s like what her friend said, she just didn’t have any time to spare. She was already on a very tight schedule and she couldn’t afford to get behind on her couture projects.

“Damn it… I know you’re right. But, still-”

“She’s going to be okay! Besides, I’ve already alerted the council about our situation. They’ll be standing by for action and perform their own damage control in case things go awry. Trust me, it’ll turn out just fine.”

Darcey finished up her wine as she stared at the full moon. She didn’t trust her old friend completely, but it was good to know Leona was in good hands. But, still she wished she could stay in New Orleans just in case something went wrong. However, there wasn’t any room for argument. The best thing to do was to sit, wait, and wish for the best.

“I hope so, Delia… for all our sakes.” 


	9. Chapter 9

The weekend had come and gone in a flash. Since Leona and her aunt had an eventful day out the Friday she came, Saturday was just a chill out day at the academy. Darcey went back to Vermont early the next morning. Goodbyes were short and sweet before she left for the airport. However, Darcey made Cordelia and Leona promise to contact her as soon as Misty was safe and away from the commune as possible. They did and reassured her one more time that everything will work out. Feeling a bit more confident about their decision, she went back home to focus on her own tasks. She was still sad and a little unsure about leaving her niece behind to finish her mission alone. But deep down she knew she couldn’t stop her. The wheels have already been set in motion and if anything went wrong the coven would intervene. All Darcey could do was to hope and pray that things would work in Leona’s favor.

Even though Leona was sad that her aunt had to go back home, she didn’t let that spoil the fun she had planned with Misty. Cordelia was kind enough to give her Monday off so she could spend time with her friend. The headmistress didn’t normally let her students miss morning or midday gatherings unless they were feeling sick. However, these were special circumstances. If this girls day out in the city was enough to convince Misty Day to join the coven, she’d allow it. 

* * *

Early Monday morning, Leona got up bright and early. She was too excited to sleep in, so she decided to plan for the fun-filled day ahead of them. Of course, they absolutely had to visit the record store first. The last time Leona visited the place, they had plenty of old Stevie Nicks cassette tapes and vinyl records. She’s been to Misty’s bungalow a few times but as far as she could tell, the swamp witch only had the one _ Fleetwood Mac _ tape. Considering how much of a die-hard fan Misty was, it just wouldn’t do to have just one little tape. She figured her new friend would love to hear her modern songs as well as a few other classics.

Misty also mentioned she wanted a new shawl while they were out too. The current one that the swamp witch had was pretty tattered and worn out. While Leona and Darcey were out on their shopping spree over the weekend, they past by this neat little vintage clothing shop. She was sure they had some pretty ones for Misty to wear. Leona thought she could throw in a new dress too while they were there. Goodness knows that girl needed some new clothes. She wondered if that cult ever let Misty have nice things. However, deep down Leona knew they would never let Misty have what she wanted. They gave her food and shelter, but that was a far as their kindness was willing to go. Overall, they were just a cruel, sick cult using only fear tactics to keep Misty in line to stay on their side.

“But then again… am I any different?” Leona couldn’t help but ask that out loud.

Even though she’s been nothing but a friend to her sister witch, Leona couldn’t help but wonder if she really was doing the right thing. As she thought about it, she began to realize how much the coven and the commune were alike. She knew that the commune was cruel and used abusive punishments as a means to “protect” their followers from the “temptations” of this world. It was a load of bullshit of course, but it certainly worked on Misty if it got her to stay there that long. There wasn’t any doubt that the coven was a better alternative, but was it really? 

It’s true that the students get to live in a modicum of luxury and receive a decent education at the academy. However, the coven also had its own set fear tactics, albeit less extreme. Everyday at the gatherings, Leona and her fellow students were constantly reminded of any looming threats from enemies on the outside. This didn’t really make any sense to her at first. As far as she could tell, the entire country was considered the outside once Hellsalem’s Lot became the new New York City. 

During one morning gathering in particular, Leona asked out of curiosity, “If things are so bad here on the outside, why can’t the coven move bases to Hellsalem’s Lot? Surely, people would be more tolerant of us there, right?”

Leona’s sister witches looked at her like she’d grown a second head. At the time it didn’t seem like such a weird question to ask. If people on the outside were more on edge since the Great Collapse, it made more sense to move to a place where magic and the supernatural was celebrated and loved. However, to the headmistress and the rest of the girls, going to Hellsalem’s Lot was out of the question. Yes, there was a chance that there kind would be accepted there. But, Hellsalem’s Lot isn’t like what New York City used to be. Danger lurked around every corner and there was a 50/50 chance of survival. No, the only chance they had at keeping the coven alive is to rely on and protect one another. Even if meant having to live the rest of your life hiding in plain sight. At least, that’s what Cordelia said.

There wasn’t any doubt Misty would have a bit more freedom living at the academy. However, she’d still be subjected to the same fear tactics that was forced on her at the commune. Besides, would she even learn anything from Cordelia? It seems that all of her lessons were good for, was suppressing their powers. The whole “Control” thing was just a cover for what the academy’s true intentions were. Cordelia said that their powers were nothing to be ashamed of, but she probably didn’t believe that either. Their kind has come so far into the future and yet they were still living in the 18th century.

Leona felt like she should cancel her plans all together and tell Cordelia she didn’t want to be involved anymore. Everything just felt so wrong and deceiving. No matter where Misty would go, she would still end up in a cage. The commune, a cold iron cage with no source of warmth or comfort. While the Coven was a pretty golden one that would give her everything she ever wanted, but at the price of suppressing who she truly was inside. This whole thing was such a mess and Leona didn't want to be a part of it.

However, she knew she didn’t have a choice the moment she told Cordelia about Misty. Leona was already in too deep and she couldn’t just back out now. And from what the headmistress told her, the council had already been alerted to the situation. They were all counting on Leona to bring Misty back safely. Plus, if she quit, Leona felt like she was abandoning Misty. That was the last thing she wanted! After everything that girl has gone through, all the people who have left her behind, Leona couldn’t let her down now!

No, she had to go through with this assignment. Leona had to get Misty away from that commune as soon as possible. The coven wasn’t perfect, but it was better than leaving her friend with a bunch of religious extremists. Besides, even if the girls weren’t friendly to her, Leona will be by her side, making her time in New Orleans as fun and happy as possible. Leona couldn’t stop thinking about all the wonderful times they would have. Sharing a room together, listening to Stevie Nicks in between gatherings, eating delicious food and so much more!

“So much more…” Leona said to herself as she felt her cheeks getting warmer. “Maybe… possibly… in time we could become more than-”

_ *BEEP BEEP BEEP* _

Before she could finish that thought, Leona’s alarm went off. It was already 10:25 and Misty’s bus was going to be arriving in five minutes! She pulled herself together and headed out the door. Even though the young witch was still worried about the mission, she didn’t want to think about that now. Today, she was going to focus on having fun with her new best friend.

* * *

Leona arrived at the bus station trying to find Misty. The swamp witch was waiting at the terminal, feeling a little out of place.

“Hey Misty!”

Misty’s eyes perked up as she heard her friend calling her. She beamed a great smile as she saw Leona running up to her. “Leo! You made it!”

“I’m sorry, were you waiting long?”

Misty shook her head. “No, I just got here two minutes ago.”

“Sweet! So, now that you’re here, what do wanna do first?”

Her friend smiled. Misty knew exactly where she wanted to go the moment she stepped off the bus. “Can we go to that record store first? It’s all I’ve been thinking about the whole ride here!”

Leona let out a laugh. Of course, Misty would want to find some Stevie Nicks music first! “Haha! I’m totally up for that! Come on, our Uber’s waiting.”

As soon as the two witches were at the record store, they were all over the classic rock section. Fortunately, there were plenty of Stevie Nicks CDs, cassettes and vinyl records to go around. Misty really wanted the _ Timespace _ and _ Bella Donna _tapes. She mentioned she heard those album songs so many times on the radio. But, she would feel sad when she had to wait for days to listen to them again. Leona was more than happy to buy them for her. She even offered to buy vinyl album too. She didn’t own a turntable, however it would make for a nice wall decoration. Misty was worried about Leona wasting her money on her, but the young witch didn’t mind at all. Darcey gave her niece a pretty generous allowance and she still had her savings from her part-time jobs at home. Plus, she knew that Misty didn’t have much money. It’s true she worked a few jobs for the commune but they practically paid her in peanuts. Besides, Leona wanted to splurge a bit that day. Even though she felt guilty for using bribery, this could help Misty see what she was missing outside the cult.

Once they made they purchases, they went onto the vintage shop next. Misty was able to find a pretty black shawl with violets printed on it. Leona found a teal one with gold trim. The swamp witch was in heaven. She’s been dying to replace that old shawl for a while. The commune refused to let her have things that resembled any form of luxury. However, she was willing to hide it from the elders, whatever it took. Leona was happy that her friend was indulging herself. Plus, she really did look absolutely stunning in that shawl.

After that, they pretty much played the rest of the day by ear. They walked around town, stopped to listen to a few jazz bands playing on Bourbon Street and they even found a food truck that served classic seafood gumbo. Leona took plenty of pictures of their escapades too and even offered to give Misty a few printed copies. Soon enough, it was already mid afternoon. The day really went by fast. The girls decided to relax in Jackson Square and get some ice cream while they were at it. After they finished their treat, Misty offered to teach Leona how to do Stevie Nicks’ famous shawl twirl.

“Wow! You’re a natural at this, Leo!” She said, clapping at Leona’s attempt at the twirl.

She took a bow then sat down next to her friend under the tree. “Well, I have taken a few ballet classes when I was a kid.”

Misty laughed as she rested her head against the bark. She let out a content sigh and smiled that same beautiful smile that made Leona’s heart skip a beat. “What is it?” she asked.

“I can’t thank you enough for today, Leo. I’m glad you talked me into spending the day with you here in the city.”

Leona blushed. She not exactly sure what to say. “Well, ya know… I was more than happy to do this for you. You’ve really been my rock this past week, and I wanted to give you a day of fun and excitement.”

“Honestly, I can’t imagine a day as perfect as this one.”

The young witch frowned. She remembered how Misty’s life was anything but fun and happy. “The commune really doesn’t allow you to have days like this, does it?”

“No.” Misty said as she stared at the cathedral ahead of her. “But, after today… I wish I could stay here forever.”

This was it. This was the chance Leona had been waiting for. If now wasn’t the time to talk about moving her into Miss Robichaux's Academy, then there’d never be. “Well… perhaps you can.”

Misty cocked her head to the side and gave her friend a confused look. “What do you mean, Leona?”

“Remember the place I told you where I was staying? Miss Robichaux’s Academy? You can move in there with me!”

The swamp witch felt more confused. “Wait, I thought that place was some fancy finishing school or somethin’?”

“It’s not just that, Misty. It’s also a sanctuary for people like us. For witches!”

This was definitely a first. Misty thought it was a bit peculiar that Leona was staying at a boarding school at her age. Now she knew the reason why. She continued listening to her friend. “I’ve told the headmistress about you and she said she would like to get to know you a little better.”

“But Leo…” Misty hesitated for a bit. This was all so much to take in. “I’m… I’m not educated like you. I barely know how to read. What makes you think that the headmistress wants someone like me at her school?”

Leona grabbed both of her hands. “It’ll be okay! Your background doesn’t matter. She’ll gladly teach at a level you’re comfortable with. Plus, you’ll have more freedom than you’ll ever have staying at that commune. You can sleep on a comfortable bed, wear whatever you want to wear and best of all, you can hang up all the Stevie Nicks posters and memorabilia to your heart’s content and not get into trouble for it!”

That all sounded wonderful. Finally a place where she’d finally belong! However… “But, what if they find me there?”

“They won’t.” Leona said firmly. “The commune elders will never find you at the school. It’ll be the last place they think you’ll ever be. Besides, even if they do, you’ll be under the protection of the coven. No one will lay a hand on you as long as you’re with us.”

This was all too much. Misty was happy that there would be a home where she belonged, but would it really? She remembered Leona’s complaints the last time they talked, so the school wasn’t completely flawless and had its ups and downs like any other place. But, was staying at the commune any better? Deep down, she really hated that place. As much as she tried to fit in, it was impossible. But even if the commune did cause her pain, they still took her in when she had nowhere else to go. However, that wasn’t the only reason why she was feeling so hesitant. The reverends sermons of hellfire and damnation was drilled far into her psyche and his words affected her deeply. Misty wanted freedom so badly, but she was afraid of the concept of hell even more. This was a very difficult decision to make.

The swamp witch wrapped herself in her shawl and looked away from her friend. “I don’t know, Leo. I… I just don’t know.”

Leona had a feeling Misty would feel reluctant about going to the academy. Not that she blamed her, of course. If she was in her shoes, she’d be scared too. But, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so she figured it was best to let her friend sleep on this for a while. “I understand if all of this is overwhelming. But, promise me you’ll at least think about it?”

Misty looked into her friend’s mysterious blue eyes. She was afraid but she wanted to believe that Leona was only looking out for her. The swamp witch sighed, but smiled at her friend. “Okay, I promise.”

Leona took Misty back to the bus station. Her friend promised she would call her friend in a few days and she held her to that. Once the bus was out of sight, Leona took an Uber back to the Academy. Even though she knew Misty wouldn’t be crazy about the idea, a part of her wished she had. But, what else could she do? In the end, this was Misty’s choice to make. But, even if the day didn’t like Leona had pictured, she didn’t let it deter her from the task at hand. She was sure that in a week, Misty would agree to come to the academy.

* * *

Unfortunately, Leona realized quickly that this mission was harder than she thought. She didn’t understand it. Of course, she let Misty have a week to think things over. But, a week turned into two weeks. Then in the blink of an eye, it turned into an entire month! This was seriously getting out of hand. Leona was running out of time and Misty was still being indecisive. Just what was Misty so afraid of? If it was a fear of hell that the reverend kept drilling into her brain, then yeah, point taken. But, Leona thought that after their trip into New Orleans Misty would realize that everything the commune had taught her was a load of bullshit. As much as she wanted to try and be an understanding friend and give her more time, Leona was really starting to lose her patience.

However, Misty’s hesitation was only half of the stress Leona had to go through. Everytime she went back to the academy empty handed, she received constant flack from Cordelia. The headmistress never failed to remind her of the urgency of their situation and that it was only a matter of time before the elders of the commune figured out what Misty was. Cordelia even had the audacity to question her if she was really taking this assignment seriously! Of course Leona wanted Misty to be safe! But Cordelia didn’t understand that it wasn’t that simple.

Leona tried to get her point across yet again on one particular Friday. “Ms. Cordelia, I know time is running out, but I can’t just force her to come to the Academy!”

The troubled headmistress rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. “I understand that. But, it’s already been a month and you still haven’t convinced Misty to join us yet.”

“You think I haven’t tried!?” Leona yelled loudly; slamming her hand on the desk. However, she knew that fighting about this wouldn’t get them anywhere. She took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. “Look, I know that deep down Misty really wants to join us. I really do. But you have to understand, Misty’s scared out of her mind and it’s not just the fear of moving into a new place. She’s been told her whole life she’d be sent to hell if she didn’t follow her Christian faith. That abuse really fucked with her head. Now, I don’t claim to be a psychologist or anything, but I know that she’s a victim of faith-based abuse and she needs help.”

“That’s why we have our gatherings, Leona.” Cordelia said curtly. “Just like you and Misty, our girls were also victims of abuse. Our scheduled gatherings allow us to openly discuss our past traumas and find ways to move past them.”

It was like talking to a brick wall. “I mean professional help. There are millions of people in this world who suffer from this kind of hurt and go through years of depression and anxiety after they leave their faith. This doesn't have anything to do with Misty being a witch!”

“Quite the contrary, Leo. It has everything to do with it. Take Madison for example.” Leona rolled her eyes, preparing herself for the oncoming sob story. “Her parents put her to work as soon as she could talk. It was as if they knew she was destined to become something special. They took advantage of her gifts just so they wouldn’t have to work. I’m not sure if you know this, but the life of a child actor isn’t always glamorous. For years she had to put up with the pressures of maintaining a perfect image, harassment from fans and becoming objectified as she grew into young adulthood.”

“Then she snapped and became an out-of-control party girl.” Leona interjected.

“Not immediately, but gradually, yes. Once her substance abuse came to light she was sent to the best rehab facilities here in the country. All of which had critically acclaimed psychologists, I might add. Tell me, Leona. How long do you think she lasted in those places?”

The young witch stayed silent. She knew exactly where this was going. “Let’s just say she only stayed for less than a year. And everytime she got out, she relapsed again and again. This academy has been the longest she’s been sentenced to. Despite her bickering with Nan and Queenie every now and again, she’s better off here. No therapist can truly understand the burdens we witches carry. In the end, we can only look out for each other.”

Leona tried to find a way to rebuke her statement, but came up blank. It was hard to argue with what Cordelia said. Even though witches had issues like any other human, it makes it harder for normal people to understand what they go through. “Okay, maybe you’re right. But still, it’s becoming more difficult doing this on my own. Can’t you just come with me to talk to her? Maybe all she needs is a second opinion?”

“I wish I could, Leo. But, if I go to the commune with you, that would only make the inhabitants more suspicious. Besides, didn’t you tell me a few days ago that they’ve been keeping a closer eye on Misty?”

Cordelia was right. Ever since Leona took her friend on that tour of New Orleans, the elders have been making life for Misty miserable. Their watchful eyes have made it more and more difficult for the two friends to see each other. She originally thought that the increase of paranoia would make Misty want to leave, but instead it just made her more scared to go with her. Leona was officially stumped.

“I… I don’t know what else to do, Ms. Cordelia.” She said as she slumped in her chair. “Like I said, I can’t just drag her here with me if she doesn’t feel safe.”

“You might just have to.” The headmistress said bluntly. “You and I both know that she is running out of time and if they discover her powers, then another one of us will be lost.”

Leona didn’t know what else to say. She just wanted this conversation to be over with since she could feel a migraine coming on. So in the end, she gave in. “… Fine… I’ll see what I can do.”

Cordelia smiled softly at her charge. “I know you’ll do the right thing, Leo. You’re free to go now.”

Once Leona was back in her room, she locked the door behind her. She crouched down and held her head in her hands. It was like she had a jackhammer pounding away at her frontal lobe. The past month had been so stressful and no one was making it any easier for her. She may as well have been back to square one when she first arrived at the academy.

“They’re all. Doing. My head in…” Leona said in a frustrated sigh.

Leona was absolutely done with the day. She just wanted to forget all the stress and anxiety that’s been plaguing her for the past month. Even if it was just for a little while. Fortunately, she had the perfect remedy for all of her frustrations. And she really meant _ all. _

The young witch took off all her clothes and put on her lavender bathrobe. While the hot water was running in the bathtub, Leona got all of the necessary amenities for any at-home spa. Mint scented candles, check. A playlist of relaxing bath time songs, check. And of course, the pièce de résistance… her mini waterproof vibrator complete with five different settings for maximum pleasure! All that was missing was a bath snack, but she didn’t really care. She was ready for a very long evening of relaxation.

The water was perfectly hot to the touch as she settled her body into the tub. Leona began the playlist on her phone and immediately wrapped herself in the warmth of the bath. As soon as she felt all nice and cozy, she was ready to move onto phase two. She took the little vibrator from the stand and turned it on to her favorite setting. Leona pressed the device gently against her clitoris and immediately felt that familiar tingle. Only this time, it was a bit more intense. It really has been a while since she last touched herself.

Considering all the drama she’s been through the past month, masturbation was the last thing on her mind. But because of all the pressure Leona had to go through to get Misty out of the commune as well as her complex feelings towards her new friend, it made her sexual frustration increase to rather profound levels. However, she was willing to embrace it as she felt her insides getting more lubricated. Leona felt all of her anxieties just melt away as her clit was getting more erect. Her breathing was getting shallow and she could feel nipples getting harder as well. Leona took her freehand to her breast and started teasing and pinching the sensitive bud. As her heart began pounding to the rhythm of the music she felt like she could cum right then and there. She wanted that release so badly and was more than ready for the oncoming rush of intense pleasure. 

Well, she was until… “Knock, knock Bitch!”

“AHHH! What the fu-mmbpbpbm!” Leona was so startled by Madison’s sudden entrance, her back slipped against the end of the tub and her whole head submerged under water. As soon as she reached the surface, Leona gasped for breath. The bathroom lights were all turned on and Madison sat crossed legged on the toilet. The young witch swore that if looks could kill, Madison would be so dead. 

“What the hell, Madison!” She said through violent coughs.

“Geeze, don’t have a heart attack Leo. The door was open, so I let myself in.”

“How!?” She yelled. “I could have sworn I locked my bedroom door!”

“You do realize that your walk-in closet also leads out to the hallway, right?”

Leona facepalmed hard as she remembered the door at the end of her closet. She always left it unlocked since she thought no one would enter through there and just use the main bedroom door. “You gotta be kidding me!”

“Oh, but don’t let me interrupt you! Please, continue with your scheduled masturbation.”

Madison stared at the drenched witch with a condescending smirk as she anticipated her to climax. However, Leona just growled as she forcefully pulled the drain plug and got up from the tub. “Forget it, you ruined the mood for me! Goddammit, now I’m going to have a blue clit for hours!”

She put on her bathrobe and grabbed a towel from the rack. While Leona was aggressively drying her hair, she stared daggers at her intruder. “Well, care to explain why you’ve decided to barge into my bathroom?”

Madison got off the toilet and leaned against the vanity. “Just got the tweet that there’s going to be an end of the year frat party tonight. You’re coming with me as my plus one.”

“And why the hell would I want to do that?” She asked curtly.

“Because I need someone to make me look good. I won’t make much of an impact if I go there by myself.”

Leona thought that was the lamest excuse Madison could come up with. She doubted someone pretty and famous as Madison Montgomery would need someone like Leona to make her look better than she is. “Why can’t you ask Queenie or Nan to go with you to the party?”

“Okay, first of all, I want someone to make look good not desperate. You’re the only one here who happens to pass for hot, but not hotter than me.”

“Seriously?” She was 100% done with this girl at this point. “If that’s the only reason you have for wanting me to go with you to some stupid frat party, you can forget it!”

Leona was just about to walk out the door and kick Madison out for wasting her time. However, the former child star placed a hand on her shoulder before she had the chance to do so. “Leo, wait. Look, that wasn’t the only reason why I want you to come with me tonight.”

The brunette turned around and folded her arms under her chest. “I’m listening.”

“If you must know, I did eat the baked ziti you made when you first arrived. It was… good.”

This was quite the surprise! Honestly, Leona thought for sure that Madison threw it away. It didn’t even cross her mind that the blonde haired witch would even enjoy her cooking. “Really? You liked it?”

“Don’t read too much into it okay.” Madison looked sheepish for a moment but let out and exaggerated sigh. “Listen, I’m sorry for acting like a huge bitch lately. You were only trying to get along with everyone and maybe I should have tried to do the same. Let me make it up to you, alright? Just come to the party with me and I promise you’ll have a good time. I’ll even hook you up with a hot guy if you go with me.”

As a former college student, Leona knew for a fact that frat parties were anything but fun. They were nothing but trouble. A frat house filled with booze and sex-fueld boys was a recipe for disaster. College parties in general just wasn’t her scene. However, maybe it was for the best that she did go? Madison was still in the process of cleaning up her act and it wouldn’t do her any good to just let her go alone. She needed at least one responsible adult to step up to the plate and keep an eye on her. Since Cordelia certainly wouldn’t be up to the task of looking after her troubled student, it may as well be Leona. Besides, Madison was being pretty sincere.

In the end, Leona decided to throw her a bone. “You don’t have to hook me up with anyone. But, since you were polite enough to ask me, sure. I’ll go to the party with you. But, only for a few hours okay?”

“Great! The party starts in an hour but we’ll show up thirty minutes late. That should give us plenty of time to get ready.” 

After Madison was finished planning, she immediately invaded Leona’s closet and started going through her clothes. While rudely invading her personal space, Madison’s expression got more sour with each passing outfit that Leona had. “Geez, I thought your aunt was some big shot fashion designer? Didn’t she buy you anything good?”

Leona was starting to regret her decision. Hearing Madison besmirch Darcey’s sense of fashion like that made her wonder if the actress’ sincerity was truly genuine. “Hey, just because she doesn’t make the kind of clothes you would wear, doesn’t mean she has no taste. She’s into vintage style outfits and her fashion house has become one of the leading brands in gender-neutral couture.”

She wasn’t impressed really impressed with that fact. “Ugh… Whatever, I let you borrow something of mine. What size are you?”

The brunette sighed in frustration. Leona didn’t want to wear anything that Madison had to offer. However, if she wanted to go to the party and keep Madison out of trouble, she didn’t have much of a choice. “Ten.”

“Hmmm… I think I still have the one dress I used to wear when I was the size. Come on.” It was kind of hard to believe that Madison was a size ten. She was so slender and thin that she could probably fit in a size 00 dress if she tried. “I’m a size five and a half, in case you were wondering.”

Leona may have over exaggerated, but five and a half was pretty shocking to hear. However, considering Madison’s line of work, she shouldn’t be too surprised. One of Leona’s part-time jobs was being an actor for her hometown’s community theater. So, she knew a little bit of the ins and outs of the industry. She was able to get a few lead roles with her talent alone while working with the theater. But even she knew directors wanted their leading ladies to have a specific look for a certain part. Now, because of her shape shifting ability, Leona could have gotten any role she wanted. However, she refused to use her powers to her advantage. To her, it felt like she was robbing someone of a role who deserved it more. With every audition, Leona would go in with her natural abilities and looks and she was fine with that. But, that was just community theater. Hollywood on the other hand, was a whole different playing field.

Leona didn’t know too much about the TV and film industry. However, when it comes to major studios, talent can only get you so far. After what Cordelia said about Madison’s past, she must have jumped a lot of hurdles to get as far as she had. Now, Leona wasn’t one for prying on another’s personal life. But, she had a feeling the former child star didn’t get from a size ten to a five and a half through generally healthy means. Then again, Madison was probably able to lose weight through diet and exercise. However, considering her other unhealthy habits, it wouldn’t surprise Leona if she didn’t.

Even though she didn’t excuse Madison’s snobby attitude, Leona still felt kind of bad for her. Leona may disagree with Cordelia on a lot of things. However, she did admit that the headmistress was right about looking after your sister witches in their time of need. In a way, Madison was kind of like Misty. Their personalities were different of course, but they had to deal with many toxic people growing up. Perhaps all Madison needed was a good friend to help steer her on the right track again. She certainly looked like she could use a big sister figure in her life.

As the two witches entered Madison’s room, she started searching her closet for that size ten dress she claimed she had. It took a few minutes but blonde witch was eventually able to find it. “Here it is. Fortunately for you, this dress is still in right now.”

Leona looked at the outfit dubiously. It was a little black sleeveless dress with a silk white sweetheart neckline. There was a black broach sewn into the bust with loose silk fabric flowing to the bottom. Okay, so it looked better than she had originally thought it would. However, Leona still wondered if she would be able to wear that thing. On the outside it looked smaller than a size ten. It was clearly the type of dress someone of Madison’s size and build could pull off. She was worried she was a little too curvy to put it on. 

However, before Leona could say anything, Madison already threw the outfit to her. “Here you go. Oh yeah, you need to wear a thong with that kind of dress.”

“What!?” That was a deal breaker. Leona never wore thong underwear in her entire life and she certainly wasn’t going to start then. “No, no, no, no! Absolutely no thongs!”

“Well, you’re going to have to. Your panty lines will show through the dress if you don’t wear one.”

Leona didn’t really care. “Well, I don’t own any! Looks like I’m going to have to wear one of my own outfits after all.”

Unfortunately, Madison had an ace up her sleeve. “Not so fast, Leo. I happen to own a lot of them in every size imaginable and don’t worry, they’re all clean. Wait here.” 

Leona sat on the bed with her face in her hands. She was certainly not looking forward to having a constant wedgie the entire evening. Once Madison came back with the black and lacey lingerie, Leona gave her a deep scowl. “I so hate you right now.”

Fortunately, Leona was able to squeeze into the little black dress. Madison was even able to close the zipper all the way. However, as Leona looked at herself in the mirror, she didn’t feel comfortable wearing that thing. It still felt tight in a few places and she didn’t really like showing that much skin. She could practically hear her father calling her a slut in that dress.

“I don’t know, Madison. Are you sure that this suits me?”

“What are you talking about? You look fine.” Madison replied as she was getting her own dress on.

“I’m just not sure that this dress is suited for someone with my body type. Plus, it feels a little too snug across the chest.”

Madison walked over to Leona to see what the problem was. She glared jealously at her plus one’s well endowed bosom. It kind of made her reconsider getting that surgery that one sleazy producer suggest to her once. She huffed and just walked towards the curling iron on the vanity. 

“Consider yourself lucky.” She said bitterly but she snapped out of her jealousy just to make her new friend feel better. “Look, you’re fine! And once we do your hair and makeup you’ll look even better, I promise.”

Leona seriously doubted that. However, she decided to give her new look a chance and trust Madison’s judgement. Well, to an extent at least. Besides, it was just a night out with people their age. What could possibly go wrong?


	10. Chapter 10

As soon as the two witches arrived at the Fraternity house, Leona immediately wanted to chicken out and go home. From the outside of the house she could tell that the party had gone into full swing. They arrived fashionably late by thirty minutes but nearly everyone who was out on the lawn were already completely wasted. If that’s what the outside of the party looked like, she didn’t even want to know what was going on inside! Leona wanted to go back to the Uber, but it was already gone. She was pretty much stuck there until Madison was done partying.

Noticing her plus one staring at the house dauntingly, Madison tapped Leona on the shoulder. “Well, shall we go in?”

She certainly didn’t want to. However, if she wanted to keep an eye on Madison, she didn’t have much of a choice. “Sure, I guess.”

The blonde haired witch let out an annoyed sigh. “At least try to pretend you’re having fun while we’re here. Come on, let’s go!”

She grabbed Leona’s arm and led her to the front door. Once they entered the foyer, the party scene was even worse inside than the front lawn. Leona’s sensitive eyes were assaulted by the bright neon strobe lights that adorned the house. The entrance was crowded with party goers and the music was so loud, you could barely hear the person talking next to you. However, with Madison and Leona standing by the door, the guests stopped and stared at the pair. With Madison being famous and all, of course people would be curious. She reveled in the attention while Leona just wanted to fade into the background. However, since she was with a big celebrity, it was inevitable she would get the same amount of attention too. Being in that skimpy dress didn’t help much.

Even though the music was blaring, Leona could already hear the gossip train from nearby girls.

“Oh. My. God! Isn’t that Madison Montgomery!?”

“What’s she doing at a party like this?”

“I thought she was in rehab or something?”

“OMG! We so have to ask for a selfie later!”

“Who’s the girl next to her?”

“Wasn’t she in that one movie that came out last year?” 

“What are you talking about? She’s probably a nobody who tagged along with her.”

The guy’s chatter wasn’t any better than the girl’s.

“Alright, now it’s a party!”

“Man, I knew Madison was hot but… damn!”

“Nah bro, she’s too good for you.”

“Dude, I’d love to get all up in that!”

“Yeah but check out the fox next to her!”

“Damn, those are some nice sweater stretchers…”

“Man, I would love to go skiing down those mountain slopes, if ya know what I’m sayin’?”

Leona had had enough of that. She turned to Madison to ask if they could leave, but she’d already gone off with some girl to get a drink. “And I’m alone…”

She was starting to wish she was back home in bed at that moment. However, considering that Madison had no intention of leaving, Leona decided to just get a drink and entertain herself. She headed towards the food table and got herself a diet cola and a plate full of sliders, pizza rolls and chips. In her opinion, the refreshment table was the best sanctuary for any wallflower at a big party. And fortunately, there were plenty of empty chairs near said sanctuary. Once she got herself settled, she just ate her food in silence while keeping an eye on the party guests. Most of them were pretty drunk so Leona needed to stay alert in case they became a problem for her. However, despite being content in her little corner, Leona couldn’t comprehend how anyone found a frat party to be fun. It was loud, too hot, the people were obnoxious and a vast majority of the guests were so inebriated, you couldn’t even have a decent conversation with them.

“You look like you’d rather be somewhere else right now.”

“Ain’t that the truth… Huh?!” Leona was surprised to see someone other than Madison making conversation with her. Honestly, she was trying so hard to blend into the wall, she figured no one would bother to talk to her. The conversationalist in question was a young man of about nineteen. He had a baby face with sandy blonde hair. She had to admit, he was pretty cute. But, he was a little too boy bandish for her tastes. Plus, she was disappointed to see the Greek symbols on his polo shirt. Typical fraternity drone. 

He chuckled at the surprised look on Leona’s face. “Well, if you’re not having a good time, maybe you’d like something stronger to drink instead?”

“I wish I could.” She said staring into her soda. “But, my friend is a bit of a party girl. So I need to stay sober in case there’s trouble.”

“Wait… You wouldn’t happen to be the girl who came in with Madison Montgomery, are you?”

Leona sighed. Of course, the moment they walked in, rumors about the mysterious girl with the celebrity would spread. “What gave me away?”

“I heard from some of my boys that she came in with some hot brunette in a black dress.”

“I see.” Leona said in an annoyed tone. “And did one of them say she had, quote on quote, ‘nice sweater stretchers’?”

The young man looked a little sheepish. “Oh, you heard that huh?”

“Every word.” She deadpanned 

“Ah…. Well, I certainly hope there’s a personality to go with those ‘nice sweater stretchers’?”

“Cute.” Leona was starting to want her solitude back. “Typical frat boy doesn’t even know my name and he wants to hook up. Why am I not surprised?”

“Okay, fair enough. Let’s start over. The name’s Kyle Spencer, pleasure to meet you.”

Kyle held out his hand to shake Leona’s. She was a bit skeptical at first, but he was trying to make a better impression on her than he started. “Leona Watch, Leo for short.”

“Sweet name. So, if you didn’t want to be here, why are you? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“Madison dragged me out here.” She started. “Apparently, she needed someone hot enough to be seen with her, but not too hot to hurt her precious ego. Trust me, I’d much rather be back at home, in my PJs, eating a pizza and playing on my handheld.”

The student started laughing. “Haha! Is that so? Well, I hope she isn’t in earshot to hear this, but I think you’re the better of the two. I honestly prefer a girl with a brain as well as a decent body.”

That managed to get a chuckle out of Leona. Sure, Kyle was no angel, but she felt like she may have judged him too harshly. “Heh! Good to know at least some frat boys have good taste. Do you belong to the house that’s throwing the party?”

“Yeah, we’re celebrating the guys from all the top fraternities who graduated this year. Since I’m in the running for leader of the Kappa Lambda Gamma chapter next year, this party’s my chance to see if I can handle the position. Which is why I’m only limiting myself to one beer tonight. So, we’re kind of in the same sobriety boat when it comes to looking after our wild friends.”

Leona smirked. “Well then, cheers to our noble sacrifices.”

Kyle smiled at her, dimples and all. They clinked their plastic cups and gulped down their beverages. “You know, It’s getting a little hot in here. Do wanna go outside so we can talk without people shouting over us? I’d really like to get to know you better.”

As much as Leona really enjoyed talking with him, she felt like she really needed to check up on Madison. On top of that, she could tell that Kyle wanted to try to be more than friends. Not in a creepy way, but still ask her on a date nonetheless. Even though he was a really nice guy, Leona just wasn’t that into him. In the end, she decided to let him down gently.

“Kyle, I’m really flattered and all, but you’re just not my type. I don’t mind us getting to know each other as friends, but that’s it. Plus, I really need to find Madison and make sure she’s okay. I hope you understand?”

Kyle was a bit disappointed. But, he understood when a girl wasn’t interested. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, it’s cool. I kinda need to check in with my boys to see if-”

*_CRASH_*

Before he could finish his sentence, everyone stopped and stared at the giant keg that toppled over. Watered-down beer had spilled all over the floor. Apparently a drunk frat member was trying to drink from the container. However, they underestimated how heavy it actually was. Kyle pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“Ah, shit… I better help him before he causes more problems. Listen, It’s been nice meeting you, Leo. Let’s hang out over the summer. As friends, of course.”

“I’d like that. But, you should probably go now and make sure your buddy doesn’t drown.”

“Right, see ya later then!” After he went off to help his brother out, Leona got up from her seat to start looking for Madison.

She looked around the house in search of her wayward friend, but didn’t have any luck. Leona asked around and everytime she thought she found Madison she was somewhere else. She really hoped that she didn’t get herself into any trouble. However, as fortune would have it, she managed to find the former child actress near the DJ texting on her phone. Leona was about to go to her and ask how she was doing, until some guy came up and offered her a drink. On the surface it looked pretty normal. But, something didn’t feel right… 

Leona recognized him as one of the guys who gossiped with one of his fellow frat brothers when they first walked through the door. He was smiling, but there was something sinister about it. Did he put something in the drink? She activated her eyes to take a closer look at Madison’s beverage. It was a regular beer, but there was something off about it. Beers don’t usually change color and it may have been the bubbles, but there was something sparkling in it. There was no doubt about it… her drink had been spiked and Madison didn’t even know it!

In a moment of panic, Leona rushed up to her and smacked the plastic cup right out of Madison’s hand. “DON’T DRINK THAT!” She yelled.

Madison was absolutely dumbfounded by her plus one’s outburst. Alerted by Leona’s screams, everyone went quiet and stared at the conflict taking place. Even the DJ stopped playing just to know what was going on. The silence was awkward, but Leona didn’t care. She just wanted to get Madison away from that creep as quickly as possible.

However, the sleazy frat brother wasn’t taking her actions too well. “Hey! What’s your damage?! I was just offering the lady a drink!”

Leona glared at him; her eyes wide open for him to see. It was so intimidating that it made the guy back off. “Yeah right, that’s not the only thing you had in mind, was it?” She was immediately done with this whole party and grabbed her friend by the wrist. “Madison, we’re leaving.”

The starlet was still trying to comprehend what was happening. “What the-”

“We are leaving right now!” Leona held onto her arm in a vice grip and got her out of the fraternity house.

Once they were a couple of blocks away from the party, Madison began to struggle and slipped her hand away from Leona. She wasn’t exactly happy to be dragged away like that in front of all those people. “What the fuck, Leo!?” She yelled. “Why the hell did you have to act like such a spaz in front of everyone?! The guy was just offering me something to drink! Big. Fucking. Deal-”

“Idiot!” Leona wasn’t going to let Madison have her way. Not this time. She was very angry at her stupidity and ignorance of the situation. “Don’t you know you should never accept a drink from anyone unless you see it being poured from the bottle!? Damn it, Madison! You could have ended up seriously hurt if I didn’t get that beer away from you!”

“Oh yeah? And how did you know the loser spiked my beverage?” She said sneeringly.

“I found out with these.” Leona pointed to her all-seeing-eyes of the gods. Madison had forgotten how nothing can get past them. “I noticed an abnormal reaction in the beer and I knew it must have been some kind of date rape drug causing it. Also, I got a weird feeling about that guy the moment we came to the party. You were just too focused on getting wasted to notice what was wrong.”

Madison was speechless. She really had no idea of the danger she was in. If it wasn’t for Leona, she definitely would have ended up humiliated in the worst way possible than her plus one causing a scene in front of her. The blonde witch was silent for a moment, but finally got the nerve to speak up. “I… I really don’t know what to say. Thanks, Leo.”

“There’s no need. I’m just glad I was able to get you out of that place before any damage was done.”

“But still, I guess I owe you one. Hang on a sec, I’ll get us an Uber.” Madison went to her phone to call their ride.

Leona really didn’t think that Madison owed her anything. There was nothing in it for her. All she wanted was to see her friend safe. She wished that Madison didn't believe that a good deed meant compensation in return.

Once the car arrived to pick them up, Leona let out a sigh of relief. It had been such a stressful day and an even more stressful evening. All she really wanted to do when they got home, was to get out of that stupid dress and go straight to bed. However, the car was heading in the opposite direction of the academy. Where was Madison taking them this time?

“Madison, where are we going? We just passed the school.”

“I know.” She said nonchalantly. “Like I said, I owe you one. So, I’m taking us to Bourbon Street and treating you to a drink.”

Leona sighed. After everything that happened at the fraternity house, she really wasn’t up for a night on the town. Plus, she felt like her borrowed dress was getting tighter by the minute thanks to all the party food she ate. “I dunno, I’m not really-”

“The night’s still young, Leo.” Madison interjected. “Look, I know a quiet little bar nearby where we can chill out. We’ll just have a few cocktails then we can go back to school, promise.”

Leona was still surprised that her acquaintance was still up for partying even after what happened. She wanted to refuse her offer, but Leona was too tired to argue. As long as they didn’t have too many drinks and were back home before curfew, she figured she could put up with Madison for a few more hours. Their Uber stopped in front of the bar that Madison told her about. Bourbon Street was lively with bar and restaurant patrons walking about. Leona had seen the place get pretty active during the day, but this street was definitely meant to be a nighttime spot.

Once the girls were escorted to their table, a waiter came up and took their orders. “I’ll have a China Doll.”

Leona decided to go with a simple drink. “And I’ll have a bottle of Blue Moon, please?”

When the server left, Madison chuckled at Leona’s order. “You actually like to drink that old man beer?”

“Oh come on, it’s a good beer.”

“Yeah, it’s okay I guess.” Madison snorted. “I’m curious, actually. How did you know never to accept a drink from a stranger? You look like you’ve never been to a party before in your life.”

“It’s just a matter of common sense, really.” Leona said frankly. “Also, my aunt took me to a bar for my twenty-first birthday last month and that was the first thing she told me.”

Madison took a sip of her cocktail and looked the other way. “You’re lucky. Really wish I had someone to tell me that sooner.”

“Would you listen to them if they had?”

“Probably not.” She said nonchalantly. “But, it’d be nice to have a loved one to tell you all that parental guidance shit.”

Leona remembered her and Cordelia’s conversation in her office that afternoon. Despite Madison’s life appearing so glamorous and carefree on the surface, there was a deep sadness that came with it. Her parents lived off their daughter like the leeches they were. They couldn’t even let her go to school and live a normal life. And only the Gods knew how many of those Hollywood producers and directors have preyed on her self esteem and innocence. She wanted to ask Madison about her home life. Then again, Cordelia may have wanted their meeting to be confidential. Leona clammed up since she didn’t know what to say.

However, Madison took the direct approach. “You don’t have to walk on eggshells for me, Leo. We all know of your little conversations with Cordelia.”

At first Leona was surprised. However, she figured that a little mind reader with a bad habit of eavesdropping was behind this. “Did Nan tell you?”

“Pretty much, yeah. Because your meetings with our ‘esteemed headmistress’ were becoming more frequent, we were curious to know what was going on with you two.”

“Even Queenie was in on this?” She asked.

“Yep, her too. You wouldn’t tell us anything, so we had to collect the pieces ourselves. So, Agent 007 has a secret assignment to save one of our own from certain doom, huh?”

Leona took a swig of her beer. Of course, nothing remains a secret in that house for long. Shocker… “Trust me, I would gladly quit this job if I was given the choice. Don’t get me wrong, I really like Misty. At first I understood why she was so hesitant, but it’s been a month now! I’m not sure what my next move should be. And what’s worse, I have to do this alone! Cordelia won’t even come with me to get Misty away from the commune and I can’t ask any of you guys for help either.”

Despite Madison being a bad listener, she hung on Leona’s every word. It was about time that Ms. Goody Two-Shoes got to vent about their lousy teacher. “I’m not surprised. She’s so desperate to keep what’s left of us alive, of course she’d have you do this suicide mission by yourself. Better to have one of us sacrifice herself for a good cause than all of us.”

Leona really didn’t want to believe that Cordelia was willing to let one of her own students die in case everything went wrong. However, everything that Madison said kind of made sense. That only made her more pissed off. “It’s like talking to a wall with those two. One keeps pushing me to extremes to get Misty out, while the other keeps delaying the inevitable. I know time is running out, but I feel like I’ve run out of options.”

Madison took a sip of her China Doll. She couldn’t really relate to Leona’s problem, but she deserved some sound advice. “Look, I may not be able to help you, but just do what you have to. After all, it’s Whatsername’s decision to come and join us if she wants. Don’t let Ms. High & Mighty guilt-trip you if you can’t persuade her.”

Leona couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This was definitely a first. She never expected Madison to give her good advice. It was rather refreshing, really. She smiled at her friend, grateful for her guidance. “I’ll remember that. Thank you, Madison.”

“Don’t mention it.” She said waving her hand. “So, Now that Cordelia finally told you of my tragic backstory, how did you react when you found out about my shitty childhood. Was it entertaining enough for you?”

“I wouldn’t call it entertaining, no. Just… sad. But, is it true though? That your mother put you to work as an actress ever since you were a baby?”

“Just about the time I uttered my first word, yeah.” Madison swirled her drink and stared into it sadly. “And I hated every second of it. And before you ask, yes, I did think about quitting many times. It’s just really hard to do so when you’re the only one in the family with a stable income.”

As much as Madison got on Leona’s nerves, she just wanted to give the blonde witch a hug. Goodness knows she’s been without one for years. However, she made it very clear she wasn’t the hugging type, so Leona remained in her seat. She wondered if Madison’s relationship with her parents had improved much since childhood. It probably didn’t, but Leona wanted to ask anyway. “Did your relationship with your family change much as you’ve gotten older?”

Madison gave her an annoyed look. “The last time I saw my mom, she snorted more than half of my coke and then left me to deal with the cops. As for my dad, I haven’t seen him since I was ten. The last I heard, he was in Vegas with some floozy. No doubt he was drinking away his winnings just like he did with my acting money. To be honest, kicking him out of the house was the only kind thing my mom ever did for me. So yeah, you’re not the only one with mommy and daddy issues.”

“Then why did you single me out the night I arrived?” Leona said as she folded her arms under her bosom. It really wasn’t fair that she was called out on having a complex relationship with her parents when she clearly wasn’t the only one.

“Because you’re the only one of us who actually managed to off one of their parents and get away with it.”

“Shhhhh! Don’t say it out loud!” Leona whispered as she kept turning her head frantically; trying to see if anyone had heard that. It was bad enough that rumors were spreading back in her hometown. She certainly didn’t want them to flare up in Louisiana too.

“Relax, no one can hear us in this corner. Why are you so up in arms about this, anyway? Clearly you hated this man enough to do him in and no one sees you as the culprit. Problem solved, right?”

Leona couldn’t look her in the eyes. Why did she have to act so callously about this? Did Madison really think all of Leona’s problems would just disappear after he was gone? She found the actress’ curiosity about her father’s death deeply disturbing. Even though it’s been over a month since the incident, it was still very hard to talk about. Cordelia had tried to ask about it during private meetings and gatherings with the other students. However, Leona remained tight lipped about the whole subject whenever it came up. She just wished everyone would stop trying to ask about it and leave well enough alone.

“It’s not that simple, Madison…” She finally managed to choke out. “Yes, I hated my dad. You have no idea how many times I wished him to be out of my life; out of my family’s lives. But do you really think I wanted him dead?

“Yeah.” Madison said bluntly. “Isn’t that all kids of shitty parents want? God knows how many times I wanted my mom and dad to just up and croak.”

Leona was highly unnerved by that last sentence. Then again, she and Madison were raised in very different households. But even so, she stood her ground. “In your case, I wouldn’t blame you. But, even though I despised him, in the end, he was still my dad. If I had the power to go back in time, I would gladly prevent it from happening again. No one deserves to die the way he did… no one.”

“Then, why did you do it in the first place?” Madison said callously. She was still unconvinced that Leona was that innocent. “Nan did say you wanted him dead.”

Leona let out a low growl of annoyance. Madison was really starting to push things too far. “From what I was told, I blacked out during the incident. I was completely unaware of my own actions at the time. Honestly, I didn’t even know I had that kind of power. Aunt Darcey always thought that I would just remain a shapeshifter, nothing more. As for why I did what I did, I honestly don’t know.”

Madison clicked her tongue in response. “At least try to indulge me.”

The young witch sighed. The blonde was never going to let this go until she had a proper answer. “It’s possible that all those years of repressed anger and hatred towards my dad’s manipulation and mental abuse was the reason why I did it. After I was given the all-seeing eyes eyes of the Gods, my brother’s eyesight was taken away. My dad was furious with me. His favorite child was left not only wheelchair bound, but blind as well. He kept saying I should have been the one sickly and blind. That I was nothing but a burden on my family. But… when he said that I should never have been born… well, I guess that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Satisfied?”

Madison’s expression was one of shock. But then, it turned into an eerie grin that put Leona rather on edge. “For now…”

This girl was unbelievable. Leona didn’t understand why she took delight in her pain. However, this was the girl who killed a man just because he scolded her for not following his instructions. And she thought Nan was unnerving! Madison was just very hard to read. At one point she can be nice enough to take her friends out for drinks and have a good time. But, on the other hand, she’s also the kind of girl who wouldn’t hesitate to stab her friends in the back in order to get what she wants. Leona wanted to trust her, being sister witches and all. However, Madison was making it difficult since she chose to keep people at arms length. 

What she needed was a normal conversation. “Just so you know, my life wasn’t all doom and gloom. When my dad wasn’t around and aside from the whole, ‘me being a witch’ business, my home life was relatively normal.”

“Wasn’t your mom shitty too? She did marry your dad, after all.”

“Far from it, actually.” Leona said; smiling confidently. “I mean, yeah, she wasn’t the perfect parent or anything; no mother is. But, she tried really hard to keep our family together when dad wouldn’t put in the effort. She was raised on the importance of family and that’s probably the reason why she never left him. Mom was just scared of losing any of us, including my dad. Even if he wasn’t a good husband and father to his family.”

“How did she react when she found out you were a witch?” Madison asked as she sipped her cocktail.

Leona hummed as she tried to remember the first time her mother witnessed her transfiguration ability. “Hmm… She was definitely shocked, that’s for sure. But, for the most part, I think she was just scared.”

“Of you?” She asked, cocking her eyebrow. Even though it was a simple question. It really made Leona think about her overall relationship with her mother. All those times Leona wanted to talk about her powers with her, Isabella would usually try to avoid the subject. Was her mom really afraid of her? Looking back on it now, her mother always appeared to be on edge when they were alone together. Whenever Isabella caught Leona practicing her transfiguration ability without her mentor, she would start freaking out and immediately tell her to stop and to just practice in her room so her father wouldn’t see her doing that. But, it almost sounded like so _ she _wouldn’t have to see her doing that.

The very thought of her own mother terrified of her, made Leona want to cry. She took another gulp of her beer just to keep the tears down and get rid of the lump forming in her throat. “I… I don’t know… maybe.” That was the only answer Leona could think of. But, she still wanted to give her mom the benefit of the doubt. “B-but like I said, Mom isn’t a bad person. She just doesn’t know much about our world. I think she wants to learn more but doesn’t know how to take the first step.”

“Uh huh…” Madison still didn’t seem convinced. Fortunately for Leona’s sake, she was willing to let it go for the time being. “You mentioned a brother. What’s he like?”

Now this was something Leona was more than willing to talk about. “He’s pretty much the only one in my family besides my aunt I’m really close with. Michael’s been my best friend since we were in diapers. Unlike my mom, he found my being a witch really cool. He said it was like having a superhero for a sister.” Leona smiled at that memory. Michael really was her rock as she developed more into her powers.

“Is he cute?” Leona wasn’t surprised that Madison would ask that. She took out her phone and swiped to a photo of her and brother near the lake Michael was so fond of. “We took this picture last winter. Personally, I think he’s grown up to be quite the lady killer.”

Madison looked over the picture on Leona’s smartphone. She nodded in agreement. “Hmmm…. Not bad.” While she didn’t believe he was a total lady killer, he wasn’t unattractive either. “So, I’ve got a question. Even though your brother’s in a wheelchair, can he still get it up, or what?”

Leona’s face turned red as a tomato. “M-Madison!” She snatched her phone away and held it close to her chest. “Don’t be so crude! Plus, I don’t feel comfortable with you objectifying my baby brother like this.”

“Well, can he?” She asked persistently.

Leona groaned. She didn’t know why, but she found it nearly impossible to say no to her. “*_sigh* _… As far as I know, the illness only made him lose the use of his legs. It shouldn’t have any effect on… ugh… that particular area.”

“Then I guess you won’t mind introducing him to me if he ever comes down to visit?”

“Yeah right, when hell freezes over, perhaps.” Leona said with a snarky tone. There was zero chance that she would ever let someone like Madison seduce her brother. “Plus, I hate to disappoint you, but he’s only attracted to mature women.”

The blonde witch took that as a challenge. “I think I have more than enough maturity for him to handle.”

“Just because you’re eighteen now, doesn’t mean that you’ve mentally matured yet. What I meant was that he likes refined women in their late twenties and early thirties. Not party girls.”

“I’m sure I could change his mind.” Madison said seductively.

“I’d like to see you try.” The two witches stared at each other intensely, the silence getting heavier by the minute. However, after a that beat of stillness, Madison smiled and started giggling.

“Hahaha! Dude, don’t worry, I was totally kidding! You should see the expression you’re making right now! I mean, yeah he’s cute and all but he’s not my type. You can rest easy knowing your precious baby brother’s innocence will be safe.”

“O-oh! That’s… That’s good to hear. Hahaha.” Leona laughed it off, but secretly, she was relieved. She was worried she would have to fight Madison to the death just to protect Michael. However, she knew that if her brother ever did come to New Orleans for a visit, he’d be able to resist the former child actress’ charms on his own.

“Ya know, Leo, when you’re not acting like a total spaz, you’re actually pretty hardcore.”

Leona was kind of caught off guard by what Madison said. Her, hardcore? That was the complete opposite of who she was! She blushed and looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment behind her empty beer bottle. “Oh, come on… you don’t really mean that.”

“No, I do! Like, when you confronted that pervert who handed me the spiked drink. You obviously didn’t pay close attention to the stupid look on his face. The guy looked like he was about to piss himself!”

“I was more focused on getting you out of that place safely.” Leona was blunt in her words. She really didn’t care whether or not the guy was scared of her or not.

“And that’s another thing. You’re willing to put your life on the line for that girl’s safety even though you don’t have to. If going up against a bunch of god-fearing rednecks as well as putting up with Cordelia’s BS isn’t badass to you, I don’t know what is.”

“** _Oh… and pray tell, where was that gung ho attitude when you just stood there like an idiot and your brother sacrificed his sight in your place? Not so hardcore now, are we?”_ **

_ “Shut up! That was then and this is now!” _Leona wasn’t about to let her father bully her again. After she failed Michael, she decided to never remain passive again. That was the reason why she wasn’t ready to give up on Misty and why he wouldn’t let that creep have his way with Madison. Because if she did, then it would be letting her brother down all over again. However, there was always this nagging doubt of her own courage. Her father made it so easy to invade her head and make his daughter doubt her inner courage. Constant “what ifs” went through Leona’s mind whenever she thought about her past and future actions. Such as, what if she had spoken up to let Michael have the eyes instead of her? What if Misty doesn't come up with a decision in time? What if the commune leaders really do kill her if Leona doesn’t persuade her to come to the coven? What if She hadn’t reached Madison in time when that pervert gave her that beverage? What if-

“Hey! Earth to Leo? Come in Leo! Snap out of it, you’re freaking me out.”

Leona was brought back to reality by the sound of Madison’s snapping fingers in her face. She got so lost in her own head that she almost didn’t hear her companion. “Sorry, sorry! Just got lost in thought for a minute.” She took her bottle to get another sip of her beer to calm her nerves. Only to remember that it was empty as soon as she brought it to her lips. She looked at Madison sheepishly, who was only getting more embarrassed for her. Not that Leona blamed her, since she was also starting to feel like a fool again.

“Yeeeaaahhh… You definitely need another drink. Hey, another round over here, please?” Leona tugged her long hair, unsure of what to do about her latest blunder. Just when Madison told her how badass she was, her father’s cruel words again came to mind again. “I’m sorry… you really don’t have to do this.”

“It’s fine!” Madison decided she was having none of Leona’s wishy-washy bullshit. “Look, just take the damn beverage. This is the best way to numb yourself from all your care and woe.”

“That’s the worst advice ever.” She groaned.

“But, it’s working right?” As much as Leona didn’t want to admit it, it was. At this point, she was willing to do anything to make the bad thoughts go away. When she took a sip of her second cold beer, Leona felt her mind clearing up. She was still coherent, but the drink did help quiet her anxieties. “Atta girl. And like I said before, don’t let this whole rescue mission get to you. Just try not to think about it too much and things will work out. It’s going to be okay, I promise.”

Leona knew that Madison wasn’t exactly an upstanding person. She was brash, insensitive and had too many bad habits to count. However, she could also be nice and semi-understanding when she wanted to be. Now, the coven didn’t do much for her overall behavior, that much was certain. However, it must have helped a little bit. It could have been the fact that they were both witches and Madison was doing her part to look out for her sister. If that was the case, then she may have doubted the headmistress too harshly. For all of her faults, Cordelia had a point. Witches can only rely on each other in their time of need. And even though Madison wasn’t Leona’s first choice as a companion, she was glad she was there to listen to her.

She looked at Madison thoughtfully for a moment and smiled. “I really appreciate hearing that, Madison. You know, as much as you get under my skin sometimes, deep down, I think you really do care about your friends.”

The blonde witch turned away from Leona’s face and sipped her drink. It may have been her imagination, but she could have sworn she saw Madison blushing. “There’s no need to get all gushy around me.” She said defensively. “But… thanks… I guess.”

“No problem.”

* * *

By the time the girls returned back to the academy, it was already 11:40. They were fortunate enough to make it back in time for curfew with five minutes to spare. It was pretty much all thanks to Leona residing to just having two drinks that night. As for Madison, she wound up having three more China Dolls and had gotten pretty tipsy off of them. Even though Leona was a little buzzed from those beers, she was still lucid enough to get her companion home safely. As small as she was, Leona had a pretty high alcohol tolerance. However, when they got inside Madison was such a giggly mess, it was hard to keep her quiet.

“Keep it down, Madison!” She whispered. “Ms. Cordelia might still be awake right now. You’re gonna get us in trouble.”

Madison just acted like she didn’t have a care in the world. “Pfff! Please, I’ve come back waaaay more plastered than this! We’re not even being that loud!”

“I know, but I’m already on thin ice with her as it is and I don't want to concern her more than I possibly have.”

“Too late for that, Leona.” This was exactly what she was worried about. Right on cue, Cordelia emerged from the parlor, still wearing her day clothes. Her face was calm but her brows were furrowed. Leona just wanted the floor to just swallow her up already. The headmistress crossed her arms over her chest. “We missed you two at dinner tonight. Care to explain where you girls were this evening?”

Cordelia’s gaze was in Leona’s general direction, clearly expecting an answer from the eldest of the pair. Leona nervously tugged at her ponytail. She didn’t know what to say. “I, um…. Well, we-”

“Relax, Delia. I was just showing her a good time. God knows you haven’t.”

Leona was caught off guard when Madison stood up for her. Even though she appreciated it, she knew it was only going to cause her more problems. “Madison, you don’t have to-”

“Shut up, Leo, I’m trying to help you out here.” The blonde witch went back at the headmistress who was getting more livid by the minute.

“Really? And where exactly did you have a ‘good time’.”

Madison just continued to smile. Her inebriation wasn’t exactly doing Leona any favors. “Oh you know, a frat party and then to a bar near the Quarter. Considering the amount of pressure you’ve been putting on her lately, I thought I’d loosen her up a bit.”

Cordelia’s eyes widened a bit as she looked at her eldest charge. “Wait, what pressure?”

“Oh come on!” Madison yelled. “You really think we wouldn’t find out? We all know about these secret meetings you and Leo have.”

This was getting out of hand. Leona swore to the headmistress she wouldn’t tell anybody about her task and the blonde witch was only making things worse. “Madison, please! Ms. Cordelia, I didn’t-”

“She told me everything!” Madison blurted out. “How she has to do all of this bullshit on her own and none of us can help her. So yeah, I did take her partying to get her mind off of it. And. It. Worked. If you were in her shoes, you’d probably do the same thing. So, don’t get your panties all up in a wad because we decided to have a little girls night out, okay?”

After Madison’s rant was over, the room went quiet for a moment. That stillness was broken when the headmistress let out a frustrated sigh. She pinched the bridge of her nose under her glasses, feeling too tired to put up with Madison’s problematic behavior. “Go to your room, Madison… we’ll discuss this tomorrow.”

“Looking forward to it.” She said sarcastically.

As soon as Madison was upstairs, it was just Cordelia and Leona left in the foyer. The silence was so palpable that the young witch could practically hear her own heartbeat. She would have given anything to just disappear from that room. The aura of disappointment Cordelia was giving off was so strong, it made Leona feel more ashamed of herself. She couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Ms. Cordelia, I… I don’t know what to say.” Leona choked out. “She said we were only going to that party tonight. I only went with Madison so I could keep an eye on her.” 

“If that’s the case, why did she say you two went to a bar as well?” The headmistress had her hands on her hips waiting for an answer.

“I noticed one of the guys spiked Madison’s drink at the party and I got her out. She said she wanted to thank me. So, we went to a bar in town to have a couple drinks. I still kept an eye on her to make sure she didn’t get out of control.”

“And yet, you two still come home completely drunk and barely made it in time for curfew.” Cordelia exasperated.

“But Ma’am, I’m not drunk!” She yelled.

“Then why is your face all flushed?”

“I only had two small beers tonight!” Leona replied, getting more and more frustrated with Cordelia’s interrogation. “Yes, I do feel a little buzzed but I did manage to get us home before 11:45.”

“Like I said before, just barely.” Cordelia let out another frustrated sigh again and that was really starting to get on Leona’s nerves. She was getting tired of the headmistress acting so high and mighty. Leona didn’t come to the academy to be some damn babysitter! However, Cordelia wasn’t done yet. “Honestly Leona, You’re really making me doubt your competence in rescuing Misty Day.”

She couldn’t believe she was hearing this. The headmistress could barely handle her own students and yet Leona was getting thrown under the bus! “Madison was one drink away from getting date raped! I forced that cup out of her hand before that could happen! Doesn’t that count for something!?” 

“Yes, but you used your all-seeing eyes in the process. Did anyone see your eyes?” Cordelia asked.

“Well, maybe, I don’t know? They were all a bunch of stupid and drunk college students who probably don’t even know about the all-seeing eyes of the Gods. What does this have to do with my competence?!”

“While I applaud your efforts for getting Madison out of that situation, you were reckless in displaying your eyes to those people. What if someone had their smartphone out and had your picture taken with your all-seeing eyes wide open? It would no doubt be put on social media and your safety would be even more compromised than it already has. Your own senses about that student drugging Madison should have been enough to get her away from him.”

Cordelia did have a point. The moment Leona and Madison stepped in the foyer, she sensed a lot of shady characters at the party. However, she felt like she couldn’t rely on her instincts alone. “I needed to make sure my senses were correct. I didn’t want to embarrass her if I was wrong. If the beer remained untouched, I would have just left it alone.”

“And that’s another thing.” The headmistress continued. “You let her drink alcohol even after I told you about how we’ve been trying to clean up her act here. Thus, sabotaging her chances of getting sober.”

Now that was a load of bullshit. Did she really expect Leona to be a nanny for all of her charges while she's in her little greenhouse doing who knows what? “You’ve gotta be kidding me? You can barely keep an eye on your own students and yet you're accusing me of sabotaging them? What the hell do you expect me to do then!?”

“As the eldest I expect you to be a good example for my girls. Not perfect, but good. I understand that they are all legal adults but they still have trouble controlling their powers and they can still act childish at times. You’ve proven yourself capable of handling their outbursts when Queenie and Madison were going to fight again. This is why I’ve trusted you this long to save Misty Day and bring her to us. However, if you’re going to remain brash in your actions, I don’t know if you’ll be the right fit for this mission anymore. Then yet another one of us will be lost. Is that what you really want, Leona?” Of course Cordelia would throw the old guilt trip at her. At this point, it was to be expected. Even though Madison told Leona not to let the headmistress get the better of her, this soul crushing feeling was hard to ignore. Leona wanted to say something. Anything to contradict what the strict Cordelia was telling her. However, she just wanted this conversation over with. In the end, she held her tongue and begrudgingly shook her head in response. “Good. Now, go upstairs quietly and get some sleep. We’ll also discuss your conduct here tomorrow.”

Leona walked down the hall to the large staircase. However, before she placed a foot on the first step, she stopped in her tracks. There was one more thing she needed to say. “You know, when Aunt Darcey told me that the headmistress here was more than capable of keeping me safe, I believed her. But if I’m being honest, I’m starting to wonder who she was actually talking about. Because I don’t feel safe here at all.” She left Cordelia standing in the foyer alone. The tired headmistress wouldn’t admit it, but that really stung. All this time, she thought she was trying to do the right thing for her charges. But, was she really? Perhaps, her mother was right about her after all… 

As for Leona, she was ready to just go to bed and pretend that this whole day never happened. However, when she opened the door to her room, Madison was lounging on her bed. As if she was waiting for her the whole time. However, Leona had had enough of her nonsense for one night. “Why are you in my room, Madison?”

Madison sat up on the bed and smiled at her. “Because it’s yours.” She said nonchalantly.

Leona sighed in frustration. She sat on the bed and aggressively took off the strappy heels that Madison lent her. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble tonight?”

The blonde witch laughed at her question. “There’s no such thing as ‘enough trouble’.”

When Leona finally got that dress off of her person, she threw it at Madison. She was still mad at her for getting her reprimanded by Cordelia. “It’s your fault that we’re stuck in this mess! If we had just gone straight home after I’ve gotten you out of that party, none of this would have happened. Because of you, Cordelia’s lost more faith in me than she already has and I don’t- mmph!”

Before Leona could say another word, she was caught off guard with Madison’s mouth on top of hers. After a few seconds, the blonde witch backed away and licked her lips seductively. “You talk too much.”

Leona was in a daze, still trying to comprehend what just happened. She didn’t think Madison was into women. Then again, she was a bit tipsy and probably was unaware of her actions. The actress was about to go in for another kiss, but Leona put her hands on her shoulders to stop her. This was too much! “Madison, you’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re doing- ah!”

Before she had any time to react, Madison forced the brunette down on the bed. She straddled over Leona’s pelves as she gazed down at her. Leona started shaking underneath her. How can someone as thin as Madison be so strong? The blonde witch lowered her upper torso to meet her gaze. She placed a hand on her cheek. Admiring all of the intricate details of her all-seeing eyes of the Gods.

“Your eyes really are beautiful, Leo…”

Leona felt her cheeks heat up. She turned her head away, avoiding her gaze in shame. “No they’re not.”

Madison grabbed Leona’s chin aggressively, her eyes meeting hers as she said in a deep tone, “Yes they are.”

Her lips met Leona’s again, trying to force her tongue inside of her mouth. Leona tried to get it out, but the more she tried to fight it, the more hot and bothered she was getting. She had no idea what was going on anymore. Was it some kind of spell? Was Madison the reason why Leona was succumbing to the pleasure? When the two witches finally came up for air, Leona tried once again to make Madison come to her senses.

“M-Madison, please… we… we shouldn’t d-do this. We… we’re only going to get in more- ahhh ah! N-no, stop!”

Madison grabbed both of Leona’s breasts and started giving them a deep massage. Leona could feel her nipples getting harder and harder through the rough stimulation. She wanted to speak up again but Madison interrupted her before she could get the chance. “I know this is what you want… You’re still pent up from when I disturbed your masturbation sesh, aren’t you?”

Her mind went back to that early evening. Leona never did get to finish what she started while she was taking her bath. “Well, yeah… B-but still, we really shouldn’t-”

“Shhhhh….” She placed a finger on Leona’s lips. Madison began kissing her body until she reached her most intimate area. Reached for the sides of her panties and pulled them down slowly. Leona tried to keep her thighs firmly together, but Madison was able to pry them apart. 

“I… I don’t…” Leona’s voice was barely audible. As much as she wanted to resist Madison’s temptation, the more she wanted to give into her own desires.

“Relax, Leo.” Madison whispered. “Let me make it all better…”

“I… I…." At that moment, Leona could resist Madison no longer. She laid her head deep into her pillow and let the pleasure envelope her. "I want this..." 


	11. Chapter 11

When Leona woke up the next morning, her mind was in a fog. She remembered drinking last night, but she wasn’t out-of-control drunk. No, definitely not drunk but she was rather buzzed from the two beers. Fortunately, it didn’t result in a bad hangover and she had enough energy to get out of bed and start her day. However, as she tried to leave, Leona bumped her knee against an obstruction invading her personal space. Said obstruction let out a sleepy groan since their rest had been disturbed by the slight nudge. Leona looked down to see the familiar wisps of blonde hair underneath her bed covers. She swallowed hard. Even though she had an idea of who it was, she had to make sure.

She slowly removed the comforter as the intruder’s face came into view. Leona’s intuition had been right all along. It was Madison. The actress was sleeping like a cat who had claimed their human’s bed as their own. Her face contorted as the morning sunlight hit her eyelids. She shifted her body towards the far wall, facing away from Leona. As soon as she got a glimpse of Madison’s naked back, she immediately covered her exposed chest. Just realizing she was naked too. At that moment, all of the memories from the night before came flooding back as she felt her face getting hot. She really hoped that everything that had happened last night was just some erotic dream. But deep down, she knew that it was all real. How could she have forgotten?! She and Madison had sex that night!

Upon the realization of the night’s events, Leona got out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom. She needed some distance away from Madison so she could think straight. After she turned on the faucet to the bathtub, she went to the vanity while the water took it’s time to warm up. Leona looked at herself in the mirror, noticing her face and body were very red. On top of that, she still felt hot and bothered thanks to the memories of her sexual escapades with the blonde witch. Feeling the rush of embarrassment, she decided to heck with the hot shower, she needed a cool one!

The moment the cold water touched her skin, Leona was wide awake. She tried to remain calm and rational about the whole situation, but it was hard not to freak out about what happened. Leona had just had intercourse with one of Cordelia’s charges and even though she was of the age of consent, Madison was still just an immature teenager! However, the brunette remembered she never even made a move on the former child actor. If anything, Leona was mad at her because she had gotten them into trouble with the headmistress. Both, for barely making it back in time for curfew and mouthing Cordelia off. After her argument with the teacher, she found Madison had made herself at home in her room uninvited. Even though Leona tried to tell her off and reprimand her for the inconvenience their night had caused… Madison… kissed her.

Just remembering that kiss, made Leona want to curl up into a ball and hide. The brunette clutched at her mane of long hair, trying to comprehend why she would do that. She probably should have been more upset with Madison since she thought she was just messing with her. However, she wasn’t upset at all. Instead, she was just confused and a little scared. Within the short amount of time Leona had spent at the academy, she never imagined Madison Montgomery of all people to just up and decide to make out with her. But, she did. She kissed Leona as if it was the most natural thing to do in that situation.

As Leona delved deeper into what happened that night, she recalled trying to stop Madison from pursuing her any further. She knew Madison wasn’t in her right mind to give consent and after what happened at the party, it didn’t feel right to let the blonde witch continue what she was doing. However, she was insistent to have her way with Leona. That was when things started getting a little hazy. Leona was finding it more and more difficult to resist the young actress. She… called her eyes beautiful. 

After all the suffering her eyes have caused Leona and her family, _ beautiful _ was that last word to describe them. However, Madison found her eyes absolutely gorgeous. If Leona was being honest with herself, that actually made her feel… good. That was definitely the part when she had decided to give in to Madison’s seduction. The faint memories of the blonde’s fingers and tongue inside of her, made Leona’s body tingle and quiver. She brushed her fingers over her intimate area and shuddered. Even though it had been a couple hours since then, her womanhood was still sensitive to the touch.

The embarrassment that Leona felt was no longer there. Instead, she felt very vulnerable and raw inside. She sat at the end of the tub, holding her knees to her chest. Leona had just experienced her first kiss and her first time that night. Of all the people in the world, her first partner had to be with Madison Montgomery. Now, it’s not like the sex was bad, far from it actually. It was very clear that the actress knew what she was doing and had more experience in the bedroom than Leona, since she was still a virgin at twenty-one. All those past nights of masturbation didn’t even compare to the touches of another person. Honestly, that was the best pleasure she’d ever felt since she was sixteen.

But at the same time, she was also very disappointed. Even though Leona wasn’t the type of person to wait until marriage, she had hoped that her first time would be with someone she truly loved and cared about. Leona wasn’t in love with Madison at all. Hell, she barely considered her a friend! The blonde witch was rude, arrogant, loved to start drama and was beyond selfish! She had no concept of personal boundaries and she knew how to use and abuse people for her own personal gain. On top of that, she would apply her magical abilities to hurt and even kill others just because she wouldn't get her way. Overall, she was a spoiled brat.

However, deep down, Leona knew that Madison Montgomery was more than just an entitled teenager. The blonde witch proved that while they were talking at the bar. In reality, Madison was probably the most vulnerable out of all the witches living at the academy. Her whole life, she had been a slave to her parents whims because they were too lazy to support themselves. She couldn’t go to school, she didn’t have any friends, she didn’t even get a choice to leave the industry because the money was all that kept her and her family going. But along the way, the pressures of stardom broke her down slowly and painfully. To cope with all of demands, she turned to drugs and sex in order to make her feel better. In the end, Madison was just as scared and lonely as Leona was.

Maybe that was the reason why she wanted to sleep with Leona that night? However, it was hard to tell what was going through that girl’s mind at the time. But, despite being a little drunk, Madison seemed well aware of what she was doing. From the moment she pushed Leona on the bed, she knew she wanted the brunette all to herself. Even though Leona’s head was still foggy towards the tail end of their intercourse, she recalled a moment when Madison’s vulnerability came into play. 

When they reached their climax, Madison laid her head down right on top of Leona’s plump chest. After that, she thought she heard the blonde starting to whimper. At first, Leona thought she was just catching her breath after coming. However, it sounded a lot more like crying. Madison wasn’t crying too hard, but she still seemed upset about something. She held onto the brunette tightly, as if she were a lifeline. The young actress kept her head buried into Leona’s breasts as she felt a stream of tears and snot fall onto them.

Leona was perplexed by this behavior for a moment. At first, she thought it may have been because of the alcohol. However, she began to understand why Madison was feeling that way. Despite acting calm after Leona had saved her from nearly getting date raped, deep down, she must have been really shaken by the realization. Honestly, who wouldn’t in that situation? Seeing Madison cry into her bosom like that, made Leona understand that she wasn’t solid teflon as she made herself out to be. Even though Madison would never admit it, she was probably glad that her senior was there with her. 

Leona remembered holding her as she stroked her hair. After that, they just fell asleep in each other's arms. She understood how Madison was the type of person to keep people at a distance. She was kind of like a diamond, in a way. Beautiful, cold and hard to the touch. However, she was also very brittle. Maybe, all that Madison wanted was a friend who could understand her. If anything, she needed a big sister figure to help guide her. The brunette pondered on Cordelia’s words for a moment. Even though Leona wasn’t keen on being the school’s babysitter, an older sister role would suit her well at the academy. Also, she could do a better job at helping Madison recover from her addictions. It would be hard, but she was sure that in time Madison would get better and move on to a different path that would make her happier in the long run.

Coming to terms with her new found resolve, Leona got up, dried off and got ready for the day ahead. She stepped out of the bathroom silently to check if her friend was still there. Madison was still sleeping in her bed, so she went to her walk-in closet to get dressed. She slipped out the back door that led to the hallway and went downstairs to get herself some breakfast. Thinking about her new self-proclaimed role at the academy really helped to put that spring in her step. As soon as Leona got to the kitchen, Queenie and Nan were already there having coffee and watching the news.

“Morning, everyone!” She said cheerfully.

The two witches sitting at the table looked at each other in confusion. “Morning…?” Queenie replied in a doubtful tone. This was really odd. For the past month, Leona always looked so tired and frustrated. They both knew about her secret assignment and how much stress it was causing their sister. Seeing her all cheerful and bouncy like this was just way too bizarre. Is it possible that she finally cracked from the pressure?

“Um… are you feelin’ alright, Leo?” Queenie asked her housemate out of concern. 

“Of course I am!” Leona replied as she poured herself some coffee. “Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“It’s just that you’ve seemed very stressed lately. It’s kind of weird seeing you all perky this morning.”

Now she understood why they looked worried. Leona sat herself down at the table with her sister witches and tried to de-escalate any apprehension about her well being. “Yes, well… after a much needed night of relaxation, I’m feeling much better now.”

“Is that so…?” Queenie asked dubiously. “And pray tell, what is your method of de-stressing?”

Leona felt her cheeks start to heat up after she asked that question. There was no way in hell she was going to tell anyone what happened between her and Madison that night. “Oh! Well, I took a bubble bath… had a nice bottle of cold beer… And um-”

“You had sex with Madison last night!?” Nan blurted out.

Queenie immediately spat out her coffee. Even though it would have made for a hilarious spit take, this was no laughing matter. Of course, Nan would read her thoughts of what happened that night. Leona just didn’t expect her to just say it out loud for everyone to hear. “Goddammit, Nan…”

The human voodoo doll wiped her mouth and stared at the brunette. Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out their sockets. “Uh… are you sure you read her mind correctly? I mean, there’s no way Leo’s into someone like Madison… right?”

The embarrassed look on Leona’s face was a dead giveaway. Her cheeks were so red that she hid herself behind her wild mane of hair.

It’s true…” Nan said quietly.

Queenie was still reeling from what she had just heard. She never expected Leona to have any kind of interest in Madison. If anything, she couldn’t stand her as much as Queenie did. What changed? “Wh-why… How!?” She stuttered.

Leona was just as speechless. She didn’t really know what to say. This kind of thing wasn’t easy to talk about. Even though she thought about it long and hard in the shower, a small part of her couldn’t believe it happened either. “I… I can’t quite explain it. It just sort of happened.”

“No, no, no. These things don’t just ‘sort of happen’, Leo. Clearly, something did happen that made you two get all freaky with each other. So, spill it.”

The brunette felt like her hands were tied. What did they expect her to say? That was her first time and she still felt vulnerable from the experience. “I don’t know what to tell you guys. I can’t exactly go into cryptic detail into what happened between us.”

“I can tell you what happened.”

The girls turned their heads to find Madison standing in the archway. Leona couldn’t believe it. Was Madison really going to tell Nan and Queenie about what happened that night? Everything had gotten so out of hand, she needed to get this under control now. “Madison, about last night… can’t we just keep that between us?”

“Why?” She asked indifferently. “These virgins obviously want to know. Besides, it’s not like it meant anything.” That comment really stung. Of course, Leona didn’t feel any love for Madison after they had sex. However, it certainly felt more than just a casual fling at the time. The former child star seemed so vulnerable when they were in bed together. Leona thought it was just her way of reaching out. But, Madison just treated this as one of her usual one night stands. “In case you guys were wondering, no, I’m not a lezzi. I just so happened to interrupt Leo having fun with her little vibrator, so I wanted to make it up to her. I took her out for some drinks to get her to loosen up and when we got home I helped cure Leo of her blue clit. And you guys have no idea by looking at her, but this girl’s a total moaner in the sack. Also, how long have you had that huge clit, Leo? I swear it was like was sucking on a small dick.” 

Leona’s face was getting hot as she felt that familiar lump in her throat again. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Madison stole her virginity and she was just bragging about it to her friends like it was no big deal. The girl was acting no better than those frat boys at the party. As for Nan and Queenie, they were also having trouble believing what just came out of Madison’s mouth. Well, they already knew that the blonde witch was a total sex addict so, it wasn’t very surprising. However, they just didn’t expect Leona to be so easily seduced by Madison’s charms. Leona just wanted the floor to swallow her up. She really thought Madison was different. 

Madison was getting bored, so she decided to wrap up the conversation. “Well, if that story was stimulating enough for all of you, I’m heading out now.”

As the blonde witch walked out of the kitchen, Leona followed after her. There was no way she was letting her get away with this. “Madison. Madison, wait!” The actress turned around and gave Leona an annoyed look. 

“What happened last night at the party and the bar and… and my room… none of that meant anything to you at all?” Leona asked as her voice was shaking. She didn’t want to accept that Madison was this cruel. The brunette saw the kind of person she truly wanted to be at the bar. So, why was she treating her like this now? 

Madison gave Leona an insincere duck face after she asked her question. “Oh, I think it’s really cute that you’ve fallen in love with me after our little fling. But here’s a little life lesson for ya. If a guy buys you dinner, he expects a blowjob in return. I disrupted your fun time in the bathroom and you got me out of a potentially humiliating situation. I just repaid the favor, so now we’re even.”

Again, Leona didn’t accept that fact. There’s no way Madison believed all people were like that. Could she? “I can’t believe you… you honestly think I’m one of those people?”

“Welcome to the real world, hun.” Madison said with a smirk. “But hey, at least you can tell your friends that you lost your V-card to a hot celebrity.” She gave the brunette a condescending pat on her cheek then headed for the front door. “Later, New Girl.”

Leona’s breathing started getting shallow. Why would Madison do this? That night she looked so vulnerable and scared. Leona thought she really wanted a friend. Now she was saying what happened between them didn’t even matter to her! The brunette clenched her teeth and started walking towards Madison again. “Wait a minute, you can’t just-”

The actress turned around and raised her hand. It happened in an instant. Leona was raised above the ground and was thrown across the hallway towards the staircase. Her back landed on the wooden floor with a hard thud. “GAH!”

This was Madison’s telekinesis at work, no doubt about it. It was so powerful that it felt like a professional wrestler had tossed her. Leona’s body certainly hurt like she was in the ring. She was glad that she didn’t end up like that poor director. However, If Madison had her way, she probably would have done worse. She tried to get up but someone was stepping on her hair. 

When Leona’s head hit the ground again, Madison was already staring down at her with a sneer. “Did anyone tell you how fucking clingy you are?”

That hurt even more than being thrown across the room. Leona couldn’t stop the tears from coming even if she wanted to. “All I wanted was to be your friend…” she choked out. 

“Yeah well, as you can see, none of us are friends here. Let that sink in for a while, k? As for me, I’m out of here.” Madison stepped off Leona’s hair and she walked away. Leona lifted her upper torso slowly as she watched the blonde witch walk out the front door. 

She just sat there, staring at the door aimlessly. Why did she expect Madison to change after a one night stand? It was stupid to think so, of course. However, deep down, she really, _ really _thought that Madison needed someone like Leona in her life. But, no…. It was just a matter of give and take. Leona brought her knees to her chest. She felt so used… 

There’s no doubt Madison used Leona’s age to her advantage so they wouldn’t have to be carded at the bar. She probably wasn’t even the blonde’s first choice as a companion. If she had her way, Madison would have chosen a cooler version of Leona to accompany her. However, what really hurt was that Madison was her first sexual partner and she didn’t even care. What was it all for!? Did she really want to have sex with Leona just to make fun of her? With all her heart she didn’t want to believe that. But then again, this is Madison Montgomery we’re talking about. Of course, she’s the type of girl to take everything from you and break your heart in the end. It certainly felt that way to Leona. So, did that mean everything that Madison said about her was a lie too? How she was a badass for standing up to her oppressors and everything. Was she just trying to butter her up? If that’s true, it worked. Because she certainly didn’t feel like a badass sitting on the floor and feeling sorry for herself.

Leona could feel her father’s presence behind her again. Looking down on her as always with that know-it-all smirk on his face. ** _“Like I said… Not exactly hardcore, are you?”_ ** The brunette curled herself in further, covering her ears. She already knew she was a loser, she didn’t need to hear that from him! ** _“You know that’s not going to work, my dear. I will always be in your head.” _ **The man chuckled, taking delight in his child’s suffering.

** **Queenie and Nan emerged from the kitchen, seeing their sister on the floor in obvious distress. They heard everything that happened between Leona and Madison. They knew that the former child actress was a stone-cold bitch but, this was too cruel even for her. The two witches went over to Leona to check on her. 

Nan crouched down and held out her hand. “Are you okay?” She asked.

It was such a simple and innocent question. However, hearing that coming from Nan, it only made Leona feel worse. She scowled at the clairvoyant and got up on her own. “You’re the mind reader here, Nan. I think you of all people know that I am very much **not **okay.”

“Hey, come on, she’s only trying to help.” Queenie said, trying to defend her sister witch.

“Really?” Leona snapped back. Right now, she was angry at everyone. “Because from what I can tell, it’s all thanks to Nan for blabbing my secret out loud. Besides, it’s not like you did anything to help. As soon as she said that I had sex with Madison, you just kept pushing me to tell you all the gory details. Honestly, I’m disappointed. I thought you respected me enough to understand that I didn’t like to talk about myself until I was ready.”

Queenie bit her lip. Leona did have a point. She and Nan should have just let their friend keep what happened between her and Madison to herself. However, Leona had forgotten that Queenie was just as stubborn as she was. “Okay, fair enough. But, I warned you not to get too close with Madison the first night we hung out together.”

“I thought her mean-girl persona was just a façade.” Leona said sadly. “Madison seemed pretty sincere at the time. I thought she really wanted us to be friends…”

“She’s an actor, Leo.” Queenie said bluntly. “Madison had years of acting lessons to deceive people for her own gain. To her, you’re just another sap to take advantage of whenever she wants to party again.”

Leona clenched her fists. Of course she knew that Madison was a professional actor. But the thing is, she actually believed everything Madison said. She made herself appear to be this lonely girl just wanting a friend to hang out with and grab a drink every now and again. Leona already felt stupid for blindly trusting Madison. She certainly didn’t need Queenie to rub more salt in her wounds. At that moment, Leona just wanted to hide in her room for the rest of the day in shame. She swore if another person saw her like this, she was going to freak.

“Girls, what’s going on?” Cordelia stood there in the archway; potted plant in hand.

The headmistress couldn’t have picked the worst possible time to be in the same room as her troubled charge. All eyes were on Leona, waiting for her to answer Cordelia’s question. She felt like the entire hallway was closing in on her. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest and she could barely breathe. Forget hiding out in her room, she needed to get out of that damned house! “Fuck. This. Place.”

Leona bolted up to her room in a flash. She grabbed her backpack and smartphone then ran down the stairs, down the hall and out the front door before anyone could stop her. She leaped over the porch steps, not wanting to waste a moment longer on the property. Leona wanted to get as far away from that school as possible. The bus station was only a fifteen minute walk and she boarded the next one headed for the Bayou right away. There was only one person that she wanted to see… 

* * *

Even though Leona had visited the commune a handful of times during her short stay in Louisiana, she was pretty familiar with the layout of the compound. She knew that the people of the commune would not greet her with open arms if she just walked in through the front entrance. Instead, she walked around the small community through the forest that surrounded it. Misty’s bungalow was on the far end of the commune, so it was easy to get to. As soon as she made it to the house, she quickly knocked on the back door, hoping no one would notice her. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for Misty to answer.

The swamp witch smiled brightly once she saw her friend. “Leo, what a surprise! I thought you weren’t comin’ till-” Her smile faltered once she saw Leona more clearly. Upon closer inspection, Misty noticed that her friend’s hair was a mess. (Well, messier than usual) But what really stood out, were the red and puffy rims of her eyes. As if she had been crying recently. “Leo, are you alright?” She asked in a concerned voice.

That immediately broke her. Leona had done a good job at keeping it together on the way to the swamp so she wouldn’t make a scene. However, after hearing the calm and sympathetic voice of her friend, the floodgates opened. Alarmed by Leona’s sudden breakdown, Misty quickly pulled her in for a hug. “Shhhhh… there, there now. It’s going to be okay. Come on, let’s get inside.” Once she got Leona in the house, she peered out the back to make sure nobody saw them. Since her trip to New Orleans the commune elders have been keeping a closer eye on her. If they knew she brought in the outsider, (what they called Leona) they’d be done for.

“Now, you just go lie there on the bed and I’ll be with you in a minute.” Misty went to her dresser drawer and pulled out a hairbrush. She walked over to the sink to rinse it out and remove any loose strands. After that, she turned on the radio and played one of her tapes. Stevie Nicks’ _ Sara _started to play. That didn’t surprise Leona at all. Misty loved listening to that song whenever she was having a bad day and honestly, so did Leona. She didn’t understand why, but there was something very comforting in the lyrics. It really did feel like the white witch was singing directly to her soul.

Misty came back with the brush in hand once it was all cleaned and ready to use. “Could you lay on your side and lift your head up for a sec?” Leona held herself up with her elbow as Misty sat down next to her. 

She placed her head in her lap and started brushing her long hair. Since the brush was still damp, it made getting the tangles out a lot easier. The feeling of the brush gently going through her mane and the sounds of Misty singing along to the lyrics made her feel calm and safe. Despite all the stress her indecisiveness was causing Leo, she was just really happy to be with a friend. Misty was definitely the kind of person she needed to be with at that moment. 

When Misty wasn’t brushing she would caress the large strands of hair in between her slender fingers. This was probably very relaxing for Misty too. “I really can’t get over how beautiful your hair is, Leo.” She said with a small chuckle. “It’s almost like a lion’s mane. It looks wild but it’s still so soft and with such a unique color. Kind of like chocolate mixed with a burgundy wine. Is that why your mama called you Leona? Because your hair reminded her of a lion’s?”

Since she had calmed down from her crying fit, she was able to answer her question. Although, her voice was still a tad nasally. “Sort of. My Nonna wanted mom to name me after my great grandmother, Leonarda Osservare. But, she thought the name was a little too old fashioned so she shortened it to Leona. Even though it wasn’t what Nonna had in mind, it was enough to make her happy. Although, I was told I had a surprising amount of fluffy hair than the average newborn.”

Misty chuckled at Leona’s explanation. Her family stories never failed to amuse her. “I’m glad your mother made the right choice. Leona suits you better than Leonarda.”

Leona laughed softly. “I’m glad she did too.”

When the laughter died down and the music stopped, Misty opened her mouth to say something but closed it. She wanted to know why her good friend was so upset earlier. However, she understood how Leona preferred to keep things that were personal to herself. But, she couldn’t stop wondering if it was her fault that the brunette was in such a sad state. Since Misty’s friend asked her to move to the academy, she’s been all wishy-washy about leaving the commune. Every time Leona brought it up, Misty would say that she needed more time to think about it. And every time that happened, her friend would get more and more aggravated. She hated seeing her that way but, she was just so unsure of what her decision should be.

In the end, she got up her courage and asked. “Leo, are you… upset with me?”

Leona was shocked by this question. “What? No, I’m not upset with you. Why would you think that, Misty?”

“Well, it’s just that you’ve been waitin’ for an answer on whether or not I will move to the school with you. I was worried that delaying my reply was causing you to break down.” 

Leona felt ashamed. She had forgotten how her annoyance became more visible to Misty when she would put off her response. “No, no. That… that’s not the reason why I’m upset.”

Misty was relieved but she was still curious as to what was troubling Leona. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Leona felt like she was going to cry again. How was it that Misty’s words were able to touch her heart so easily? She took in a shaky breath to steady her emotions. “I… I did something stupid.”

“What happened?” She asked with a sympathetic yet concerned tone.

“I…. Uh… I’m sorry, i-it’s really stupid and embarrassing.” Leona’s voice was watery but Misty didn’t mind.

“It’s okay, take your time.” Misty continued to brush her hair and Leona began to talk about her situation.

“I… I had sex with a friend last night.” Misty blushed when she said that bit of information. She certainly wasn’t expecting that! However, not wanting to say anything in fear of offending Leona, she kept quiet and let her continue her story. “It was my first time and I thought they really liked me at first. However, it turned out that they weren’t so nice. I was just an easy lay to them. They just really hurt my feelings this morning and that’s why I was sad. Pretty dumb, huh?” 

Misty didn’t think it was dumb at all. She could definitely relate since she’s been through more than her fair share of heartbreak. However, she didn’t know that this so-called “friend” was Madison Montgomery. Leona thought it was best not to use any names, but still wanted to stay true to her story.

Misty placed a loving hand on Leona’s head. “I’m really sorry you had to go through that, hun. I’ve had my heart broken a few times too and I know how much it hurts like hell. But ya know what, Leo? Over the years I’ve learned that a soul sister is better than any lover. And I’m so happy that I’ve finally found one in you… I hope you feel the same.”

As kind and comforting Misty’s words were to her, they weren’t exactly the ones Leona wanted to hear. She really hoped that her good friend had a similar crush on her just like she did. Even though it was just a small sliver of hope, she still wished her feelings for Misty were requited. Misty Day did love Leona, that much was certain. But… she only loved her as her sister witch. However, this wasn’t too surprising. Of course someone as pure and kindhearted as Misty wouldn’t love someone like Leona as a woman. Besides, after everything she put her family through and her status as a witch, she felt like she didn’t deserve romance. In the end, finding true love was just another hopeless pipe dream.

However, she still needed Misty Day in her life. Now more than ever Leona needed a sister witch to stand by her side to fill the lonely days with laughter and joy again. After what happened that morning with Nan and Queenie, she had no doubt that they would treat her with the same indifference like the day she arrived at the academy. And Madison made it very clear she had no intentions of ever being her friend. Misty was the only one who would understand Leona and be her ally while so many in the coven were against her. So, for the sake of preserving their friendship, she accepted. It was for the best anyway… 

“I do, Misty.” Leona said with a bittersweet smile. “I’m glad that I have found a sister witch in you too.”

Misty beamed her beautiful smile at Leona, ecstatic that her friend felt the same way. It made Leona’s heart ache that she didn’t feel anything more. However, she decided to bear it for her sake. “Thank you, Leo!” She said as she hugged her. “I’m so happy you feel that way because I have something important to tell you.”

“What is it?” Leona asked.

“Well… I gave your offer a lot of thought and… I think I’m ready to go with you.”

Leona’s eyes opened wide at her answer. She didn’t expect to receive this kind of good news especially with how crappy her day was. “Really? You actually want to go to the school with me?”

“I’m pretty sure I do.” Misty said, still feeling a bit uncertain. “I’m not gonna lie, Leo I’ve been really scared about moving in with you. Even though you told me about the academy, there’s still so much I don’t know about. Plus, I don’t exactly know what the people who live with you are like. But, this place has been a complete hell for me… I can’t take it anymore. Besides, I trust that you would never take me somewhere dangerous. So yeah, I’ll go with you. Who knows? Maybe things will be different this time.”

Leona immediately got up from Misty’s lap and hugged her tightly. She was so happy, she thought Misty would never want to go to the academy. “That’s wonderful, Misty! Don’t worry, everything will be much better at the academy. You’ll be safer there than you ever would here, I promise.” Leona didn’t exactly believe herself when she said that. After everything that’s been going on between her, Cordelia and the girls, she still questioned if going back to the academy was a good idea. However, this wasn’t the time for second guessing. As long as Misty is living at the school both of their lives will be much more bearable. Also, she had no doubt that Cordelia would be singing a different tune after this.

Misty returned the hug in full. “At this point, anywhere is better than here. Also, not to sound materialistic but, I’ve been dying to that city food again and sleep in a real bed for once.”

“It’s okay, Misty I totally understand. So, when do you want to leave?”

The swamp witch fiddled with her curly hair for a bit. This was all so exciting, but it was nerve wracking at the same time. “I wanna get out of here as soon as possible… tonight, maybe? Yeah, while everyone’s asleep. I don’t have a lot to carry so it shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”

Even though Leona was on board with moving as soon as they could, there was a slight issue… “That’s fine. except, the first bus going into the city isn’t until 4:30 AM. And since it's a three hour ride, it’ll take longer to get there on foot. So, it’ll be too dangerous.” 

“Then we’ll wait until 4:30.” Misty said, determined to get out of the commune however possible. “That way, we can use this time to pack up my stuff. And don’t worry, everyone will still be asleep by the time we’re at the station.”

The brunette nodded, feeling a little more confident about Plan A. “Alright, that sounds good to me. However, we should leave the commune an hour early, just to be on the safe side.” 

“Okay, that's fine. Listen Leo, I’m not gonna lie… I’m still a little nervous. But, like I said before, I trust you. I know I’m gonna have a much better life at the academy than I ever will here. Plus, I feel better knowing that you’ll be with me every step of the way.”

Leona held onto her hands, reassuring her that everything will be okay. “I get that you’re still a little scared, Misty. Honestly, I kinda am too. However, as long as we stick together, I know we’ll get out of this just fine.” At least… she hoped they would.

Fortunately, Misty’s faith in Leona remained unwavered. “I believe you, Leo.” Leona was glad that she did. Someone to believe in her especially when she didn’t believe in herself. However, she needed to remain confident in her decision… for Misty’s sake.

* * *

That night, Leona remained restless as she eagerly awaited for her alarm to go off. She had decided to stay with Misty at her bungalow until it was time to leave. They had packed up a majority of her clothes, posters and other small trinkets. Fortunately, she didn’t have much to carry back to the academy. The rest would remain in the house, including her radio. Misty wasn’t too happy to leave it behind. But, Leona promised she would get her a new one once they got her settled into her new home.

Once everything was packed, all they had left to do was wait. Leona decided to set her alarm for 3:30 AM. That way, they would have enough time to distance themselves from the commune and still make it to the bus station before departure. However, when she turned on her smartphone, twenty voice messages had been left by Cordelia and a few by her aunt. No doubt the headmistress was desperate to get in touch with her charge. Especially after she just bolted from the academy without any explanation. Misty noticed the amount of unanswered messages on her phone and asked Leona if she should call them back to let them know what was going on. As much as she wanted to call her mentors to tell them that the swamp witch had finally agreed to join the coven, she was still feeling a tad bitter about her argument with Cordelia. Besides, she wouldn’t have been able to call her even if she wanted to. Her phone reception in the swamp was too weak. In the end, she decided to wait until they were back in the city to explain what was going on.

When evening approached, the girls decided to turn in early since they needed to be fully awake and alert when it was time to leave. However, Leona couldn’t sleep at all. Unlike Misty, who was possibly dreaming about her new life in the city with her sister witch. The brunette on the other hand, just couldn’t bring herself to close her eyes. She couldn’t understand why, but she had a really bad feeling in her gut that something was about to go very _ very _wrong. At first, she tried to shake off the feeling, thinking it was just her nerves playing tricks on her. But no matter how hard she tried, Leona just couldn’t get that foreboding heaviness to go away.

Throughout the night, Leona constantly checked the time on her phone. Hoping that 3:30 would come a little faster so they could get the hell out of there. When she checked again, it was only 2:30 AM. Just one hour before her alarm went off. This was starting to get ridiculous, so she decided to just wake up Misty and go to the station ahead of their schedule. Leona understood it would still be a bit of a wait before the bus arrived to take them back to New Orleans. But, something didn’t feel right at all. So, she decided it would be safer to just leave the commune immediately.

However… just before Leona was about to wake up her friend, she heard the backdoor knob start to rattle. On instinct she hid herself under the covers. She desperately hoped that it was only wind. The bungalow was pretty old, so it only made sense that it would make a few creaks and rattles every now and again. When the noise stopped, Leona felt relieved. Perhaps it was just in her head after all?

Oh, if only that were true… 

It was only a few seconds until she heard the backdoor slowly creak open. Loud footsteps could be heard just creeping closer and closer to the cott where the two witches slept. Leona held her hands to her mouth to keep her breathing quiet. She didn’t know what to do. The young witch knew that she should wake her friend and alert her of the intruders and try to fight them off. However, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t bring herself to move. It was like her entire body had been frozen in place. Just like…. just like the time when the deity appeared in front of her and her brother in Hellsalem’s Lot… 

She tried to break free of her petrified condition, but it was too late. The unknown intruders forced the covers off of the witches and moved forward with their plan to capture them. Since Leona was already awake, her fight or flight response had already kicked in. She tried to fight off one of the attackers but he was too strong. He held a beefy hand over her mouth in order to keep her quiet, while his partner went after Misty.

Leona took a bite of his hand and that forced him to let go of her. “Misty, wake up! They found out about our plan!”

However, Misty was already ahead of Leona. She immediately sprung out of bed and jumped at the second intruder like a wild tiger. Even though Leona had only known Misty for a short time, she never really seemed like the fighting type. On the other hand, being what she was, there was no doubt she had gotten into a few brawls in her childhood. It looked like she was winning since she managed to give the half-wit brute a broken nose.

“GAH!! You fucking cunt!” The intruder screamed. “Hey! We need some help here! The necromancer's stronger than she looks!”

As soon as he called out for backup, the front door was completely bashed in and broken off its hinges. Three burly looking men came rushing in. Two of them went after Misty while her other attacker tended to his nose. Leona elbowed her captor hard in the chest, breaking free from his grasp. She sprinted over towards Misty to help ward off the oncoming attackers, but the third of the group tackled her straight to the ground. He was so large and she wasn’t strong enough to get him off of her. The attacker held onto her arm painfully tight as he signaled her first captor to lend a hand. They both held onto Leona’s arms like vice grips. It was hopeless, she was trapped.

Leona hoped that Misty was able to break free of the two other goons. She certainly looked like she wasn’t willing to go down without a fight. However, one of the men played dirty and grabbed her arms from behind. But, she wasn’t willing to give up. Even though her arms were out of commission, her legs were not. She kept throwing her feet in the air, trying to kick the other attacker away from her. The swamp witch was ready to do anything to fight against the intruders with whatever might she had left in her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. The other goon was able to hold her other arm with no trouble. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t escape their grasp. The same went for Leona.

The leader of the group pathetically held a handkerchief to his bleeding nose, but was still pleased they managed to capture the witches. “Very good, gentleman. Now, tie up their wrists and drag their asses down to the fields.”

“Aw, can’t we have a little bit of fun with them first.” Leona gagged as the captor breathed on her neck. It smelled of rotten eggs and alcohol.

Misty spat at him for even suggesting such a thing. “Fuckin’ pig!”

“Ugh! Why you little-”

“Forget it!” Yelled the leader. “They’re both tainted. Besides, the Pastor told us to bring ‘em to the fields once they’ve been caught. Now, move!”

Not wanting to go against their preacher, the goons tied up the girls and literally dragged them away from the bungalow. The ride was painful and bumpy for the both of them. Leona felt one of her shoulders dislocate because of how hard she was being pulled. Misty kept struggling and was constantly yelling at their captors to let them go. It felt like they were being dragged around for hours. But soon enough, they did eventually arrive at the empty field. A larger group of people were waiting for their men to arrive with their captives. 

They immediately separated the two witches from each other. Leona was forced on her knees but was still being held by one of the goons. Right in front of her was a large object that looked like an accumulation of scrap metal. The other men were tying Misty up against the monstrous thing. Again, she tried to free herself but to no avail. After they had finished, they began dousing her in some kind of liquid. The smell was so strong and familiar that Leona could recognize it anywhere… it was gasoline.

All those stories Darcey told her about were actually true. Modern witches really were being persecuted despite the changing times. In truth, Leona had remained ignorant of her stories as well as Cordelia’s warnings. She never wanted to believe that there really could be people like these who would do something this vile. But it was all real… her best friend was about to be burned alive… 

“Misty…” Leona tried to shout out her friend’s name, but her voice couldn’t go any higher. The smell of the toxic liquids and the horror that was about to take place made her voice lock up. It was happening again. Another loved one was going to get hurt and she couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.

Misty was frightened too. This was the kind of thing she feared the most. The sad thing about this, was that she really wanted to start a new life at the academy with Leona the moment she made her offer. Misty could have walked straight to Miss Robichaux's with her friend and never return to the commune again. However, because of all the bullshit these people planted in her head, she waited. And things only got worse for her. She really wished she hadn’t been so indecisive with her answer. Maybe then this wouldn’t have happened. Now Leona was about to witness her horrendous death and after everything that poor girl went through! However, there was one thing she could do for her friend.

Even though Misty was scared and shaking, she wasn’t about to give those people the last laugh. She locked her eyes down on all of her oppressors. The swamp witch didn’t want her dear sister witch to think she was dying in vain. If she was gonna go out… she might as well do it with a brave face. “It’s you that will end in flames… I SWEAR IT!!”

It happened instantly. As soon as the lit match hit her leg, Misty’s entire body went up in a bright orange blaze. The sound of her friends' painful cries, the smell of burnt flesh and just witnessing her skin roast and blister assaulted all of Leona’s senses. Her voice was still locked up, so she couldn’t even scream. Tears ran down her face as she continued to watch the horror in front of her. She wanted to look away, but her captor held her head in place. He probably wanted her to see that this would happen to her next.

However, once the flames began to die down, Leona began shaking in her oppressors arms. Her breathing became ragged. Not out of fear for her impending death, but in anger. “Why?…” Leona whispered. “Why would you do this?… **What has she ever done to you?**”

She turned to face the people responsible for her friend’s death. Her mysterious blue eyes wide open for all to see. Leona’s captor immediately let her go. He didn’t know why but her skin became scalding hot to the touch. The girl was certainly a witch like the necromancer, no doubt about it.

Leona got up on her feet to face her sister’s murders. Her hands were still tied but she still stood her ground. “Was it because she was different from all of you? Because she was a witch? Is that it!?”

The crowd took a step back. They could see the steam rising off of Leona’s shoulders. Neither of them knew what this witch was capable of. However, the preacher who ordered the girl’s deaths stepped forward. “Misty Day made a pact with the devil to perform necromancy. It is the ultimate sin, girl. This was the only way to save her soul!”

“WE NEVER WANTED THESE POWERS!!!” Leona screamed, her voice echoing through the night sky. “We were born as witches; it runs in our families! Do you honestly think we wanted this!? To be unfairly persecuted for something we didn’t even ask for!? All we ever want is to be normal! Why can’t you understand that?!”

The elders of the commune began murmuring to each other. This was meant to be a noble cause, but was it really? The mad preacher, not wanting to lose his power over the people, continued his rant. “The bitch lies! I-it’s the devil! It speaks through her! Hurry and put her against the stake before she gets away!”

As the goons went after her, Leona backed away slowly. “No… No…” She was right about to be in their grasp again. Until… **“GET AWAY FROM ME!!!” **Just like before, it happened instantly… one by one… all of Misty’s killers went up in flames. 

Leona’s mind went back to the moment it all started. The time when her new power had emerged. Her father, showing his true colors. How he truly hated his daughter and that she never should never have been born in the first place. Her mind blacking out as her hand moved on it’s own. And his entire body… going up in flames… This was it. This was her power. One of the seven wonders, pyrokinesis. The ability to start fires with only the mind. The very power that killed her father.

Leona’s knees went weak at the death and destruction around her. She collapsed to the ground as her vision went dark and she knew no more… 


	12. Chapter 12

“Look, You’re making this harder than it needs to be.” The detective told Leona impatiently as she sat next to her bed.

Leona was out cold for twenty-four hours after the incident with the commune elders. When she woke up, she was back in New Orleans at St. Ignatius Hospital. From what she was told by the doctor, the only injuries she sustained were the rope marks on her wrists, bruises on her arms and very small burn scars around her legs. He also told her that she was the only survivor of the fire. When the doctor told her that, Leona remained unresponsive as if she were in a catotonic state. She was immediately sent to the psychiatric ward after that.

On top of everything else, Leona had been receiving visits from the police just a few days after the incident. All of them were asking the poor girl numerous questions about what happened. What did she see? How did the fire happen? Why was she the only one with minimal injuries, etc. Of course, she wouldn’t answer any of them. All Leona did was stare out the window with a blank expression on her face. In the end, they decided to send their toughest officer to get her to open up. Which, honestly, was a mistake.

Leona’s doctor certainly seemed to think so. “Detective, Ms. Watch had just been through a very traumatic experience. She’s barely started her treatment. You’re only going to make things worse if you keep poking her with all these questions.”

“Hold on, there’s one more thing I’m gonna try.” The cop turned back to Leona, who was still staring out the window. “Leona, when we first arrived, the first thing we noticed was that one of the victims was strung up by their wrists on that pile of scrap metal. However, the face was so damaged, we were unable to identify the body. Since you’re the only survivor, you can tell us who they are. Please, Leona? We only want to help you.”

The moment she said Misty’s body was burned beyond all recognition, moments of that dreadful night flashed through Leona’s mind. Her horrible screams of pain have been ringing in her ears ever since. The smell of her burning flesh still lingered in her nose too. And yet this hard-hearted police officer was treating her as just another body! Misty was special, goddammit!

The nurse observed how visibly upset Leona was getting. He went over to comfort her and tried to get her to calm down. The doctor, on the other hand, was ready to kick the detective and her fellow officer out the moment his patient started crying. “Okay, that’s enough. If you’re just going to upset my patient, you’re going to have to leave. Besides, visiting hours ended ten minutes ago.”

The detective sighed, frustrated she didn’t get any further with Leona. She got up from her chair and headed to the door with her partner. “Fine. Come on, Rick let’s go back to the commune. Maybe they’ll be willing to talk again.”

Once the pair were out of the room, the doctor joined the nurse to help Leona calm down. Honestly, the nerve of those people! They had no idea what this poor girl went through. Although, if he was being honest with himself, neither did he. When the doctor heard about the case from Leona’s last physician, he found it kind of odd. He figured out that those crazy cult leaders must have tied the victim up first then set them on fire. But, all of them were caught on fire too. Except for Leona, who only had very minor injuries. In fact, it almost looked like the fire didn’t even touch her. So, why? Why was she the only one that wasn't burned?

The doctor thought he was probably reading too much into it. It’s possible that those commune freaks got sloppy with the gasoline and a spark from their first victim bounced off onto them. Serves them right if you asked him. He always knew those trashy rednecks were nothing but trouble. He was sure that Leona didn’t do anything wrong. 

After getting Leona to relax, the doctor thought it was time to let her turn in for the night. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that today, Leona.” He said remorsefully. “I’ll come by first thing in the morning to see how you’re doing, okay?” Leona didn’t say anything; only nodding her head in response. The doctor smiled then turned towards the nurse. “Make sure to give her a sedative before she goes to bed.”

“Of course, doctor.” Feeling reassured that the nurse had everything well in hand, he headed out to end his shift.

“Okay Leona, this should help you get a good night’s sleep. But first, are you sure you don’t want anything to eat? Some soup or maybe just a light snack?” Leona was glad the nurse cared enough to ask if she was hungry. However, she pretty much lost her appetite after having to remember what happened in that field. So, she shook her head to him. “Alright then. But just in case, I’m gonna get you some juice from the vending machine to have later. Now, hold out your arm for me. Don’t worry, you’ll only feel a slight pinch.”

The brunette did what he asked as the nurse injected the sedative. But, she didn’t feel anything once the needle pierced her vein. After everything she had to go through, she just felt numb. He probably knew it too, since she didn’t even flinch.

“That’s a good girl. Now try and get some rest, okay? I’ll see you in the morning.” Leona settled into her bed. She managed to find a comfortable position on her side facing the window. Her eyelids were getting heavier by the minute as the medicine’s effects began to kick in. Before the nurse left the room, he turned around to face the patient. He sighed as he shook his head. “Poor thing…”

* * *

Even though the sedative was supposed to help Leona have a good night’s sleep, it had the exact opposite effect. The whole night, she had been plagued with horrific nightmares. She was surrounded by a horde of burning bodies. The voices of the commune elders, Misty and her father all howling in pain from the flames. Not only that, the voices spoke to her. They all sounded so hateful. Each word felt like an ice pick stabbing her in the heart. 

** _“Why would you let us die!? We only wanted to protect our people!”_ **

** _“You were supposed to save me, Leona! Why didn’t you help me?!”_ **

“I wanted to, Misty!” Leona shouted back. “I tried to save you! But, I just… I-I just…”

** _“Why am I not surprised?” _ ** Leona’s body froze as her father’s voice spoke directly in her ear. Unlike the others who were just screaming at her, he sounded way too calm. ** _“I thought you would understand by now, Leona. You only know how to make things worse.”_ **

She spun around to face him. She wasn’t going to let him win. “You’re wrong! We were about to leave the commune together! I didn’t think it would end up this way. How was I supposed to know we were being spied on!?”

** _“YOU IDIOT!!!” _ ** He slapped her hard across the face. It hurt even more since his hand was burning hot. ** _“YOU HAVE THE ALL-SEEING EYES, DON’T YOU!? THE VERY EYES YOU STOLE FROM MY SON!? _ **He was right. Her eyes did have the ability to sense the auras of other people. If she had only checked the perimeter for any spies, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened!

** _“But it did happen, Leo.” _ ** Said Misty in a solemn voice. ** _“Why didn’t you check everything first?”_ **

“I…” Leona didn’t know what to say. She really didn’t have any excuses. “I wasn’t thinking… I only wanted to see you!”

** _“Right…” _ ** The voice of her father came back again. ** _“The truth is, you were just too busy feeling sorry for yourself as always. All because a group of mean girls made fun of you. Pathetic.”_ **

Leona fell to her knees. The weight of their words feeling heavier and heavier. “I… I’m sorry…”

**_“Sorry isn’t good enough…” _**Her father growled. The flames surrounding the people she had hurt were only getting stronger. **_“It’s time you learned how your fire truly feels like.”_**

The burning bodies kept inching towards Leona. She tried to cower into herself to avoid the flames, but it was no use. She felt her flesh blister and roast from the people around her. It was agony! No one deserved to go through this kind of torture! But the pain just kept getting worse. All she wanted was for death to embrace her from this unbearable horror.

To Leona’s shock it almost felt like her wish had come true. All of her oppressors had suddenly vanished. Only a hooded figure was staring her in the face. Was it really death coming to take her away? At this point, she didn’t care anymore. She just wanted the suffering to stop.

As soon as the mysterious figure reached out their hand to touch her cheek, she flashed her eyes open. Leona was no longer in that black abyss but in her room at the hospital. However, the cloaked figure from her dream was standing right above her. Realizing this really could be the grim reaper, she got out from under the covers and ran towards the corner of the room.

“Wh-who are you? What do you want?” Leona managed to speak again. She felt like she was going to be in for another fight. Fortunately, her mysterious guest was kind enough to reveal themselves to her. As soon as Leona managed to get a better look, she noticed that they were a familiar face. She’d recognize that wild red hair and horn rimmed glasses anywhere. “Ms. Snow?”

“In the flesh, my dear.” She said with a crimson smile.

“But, why are you here? How did you get past the security guards?” Leona asked.

“Shhh…” The red head put a finger to her lips. “I’ll explain on the way back. Right now, we have to get you out of here.”

“But, everyone will notice I’m missing.”

“Don’t worry.” Myrtle said assuringly. “I placed a memory spell on the doctors and nurses that interacted with you during your stay. They won’t remember a thing about you.” She then gave Leona a bag. “Here, I’ve brought you your clothes and a cloak. Put them on quickly, please. I can only hold this hypnosis ability for so long.”

Leona was a bit confused as to what was going on, but she still did what Myrtle asked of her. It was best not to go against the head of the witch’s council. Once she finally got dressed, she grabbed her backpack from the armchair and headed out with Ms. Snow.

“We’ll slip out through the back exit.” Myrtle said as they hurried along the corridor. “The car’s waiting for us so try to keep up.”

“What about the police? Surely, they’ll become suspicious once they find out I’m gone.”

“Cordelia and Darcey are already on it.” She said as the pair went down the hospital’s back stairs. “They’ve been busy wiping their memory of you from the records. It would be as if you were never involved in the case.”

The way she said that, made Leona feel more guilty than she already had. Even though the hospital staff and the police won’t know about her involvement, she certainly will. She would have to deal with the remorse of what she did to those people for the rest of her life. Although, just like how the police couldn’t pin her to her to Charles’ death, they probably wouldn’t believe that she set the commune elders on fire either. Leona found it kind of funny, in a morbid sort of way. Even though the Great Collapse of New York was the ultimate proof that magic and the supernatural existed, people on the outside were still in denial. Since there wasn’t any solid evidence that Leona killed her father, the coroner chalked it all up to spontaneous human combustion. Little did they know it was the cause of her pyrokinesis. 

When the two witches finally reached the bottom of the back exit, a black car was waiting for them in the parking lot. Myrtle’s men held the doors open for them as they quickly got in the vehicle. Once they were buckled in, the two albino bodyguards got in the driver and passenger seats and drove as far away from the facility as possible. The academy was only forty-five minutes away and since there weren’t that many people on the road, it wouldn’t take them too long to get there. In the meantime, Leona still had plenty of questions to ask the redheaded witch.

“How did you know where I was?”

Myrtle lit up her cigarette and sighed out her smoke. “Nan told Cordelia where you ran off to this morning. She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, since you left in such an emotional state. So, she called me and your aunt to come over and help. Fortunately, I was with Darcey in Paris so we immediately got on the next flight. However, we were set back by numerous delays and it was already 1:00 AM when we landed. Your aunt and I tried to get to the Bayou as fast as we could, but by the time we got there, the damage had already been done.”

Leona was mortified. She knew that her aunt was going to be on a busy schedule this summer. And yet, she still managed to cause trouble for her family again. Myrtle continued on with her story. “I asked one of the officers on site what had happened. He said that an innocent girl was burned to death, followed by the deaths of seven other people. Darcey and I immediately suspected that the burning of the commune elders was your handiwork.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, I swear!” Leona said in a panic.

“Don’t worry, little bird.” Myrtle said in a calming tone. “You did nothing wrong. And I’m sorry for phrasing that so poorly. Anyway, he told me there was only one survivor and that you were taken to St. Ignatius. Your aunt wanted to go see you right away. However, I told her we had work to do first and that we’d have to wait a while before we extracted you from the hospital.”

“So, the past few days, you were all wiping the memories of the police?” She asked.

“Indeed we did. We doubted that they would have found any evidence of you causing their deaths, of course. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Leona looked down at her feet, feeling more dejected than ever. “You didn’t have to go through all that trouble for me…”

“Nonsense.” Myrtle waved her hand at the very thought. “These are dark times, girl. We need to look out for each other. And like I said, we don’t blame you for what you did. You did everything you could for Misty Day.”

“The thing is…” Leona’s voice started getting shaky. “I didn’t do enough.”

She stared out the car window, not wanting the elder witch to see her cry. Myrtle wished she could say anything to make the poor girl feel better. However, despite being a witch of many words, she didn’t know what to say. She feared making Leona feel worse than she already had. In the end, she just stared out her own window and continued smoking.

The rest of the car ride home was silent. No one said a word after Leona got the answers she needed from Myrtle. However, everyone felt relieved when they finally arrived back at the academy. The bodyguards helped the two witches out of the car and drove away into the night. When they approached the front door, Leona was reluctant to go in. Even though Myrtle reassured her that she wasn’t in trouble and that it wasn’t her fault, she still felt like a disgrace to the coven. She had one task to bring Misty Day back to the academy and failed miserably. Now, another one of their kind has been put to death and all because she was too scared to move. Leona wasn’t looking forward to meeting with her sister witches. But, Myrtle had already opened the door and was waiting for her pupil to go in. She sighed as she began to walk the threshold. 

However, before Leona even stepped foot in the parlour, she was suddenly glomped by a tall figure. “Leona!” The young witch immediately recognized her aunt’s voice. “Thank God, you’re alright!”

“Auntie…” Leona couldn’t hold it in anymore. She sobbed into Darcey’s chest. “I couldn’t save her, Auntie! They tried to kill me and I didn’t know what else to do! I’m sorry!”

“Shhh… it’s okay, Sweetheart.” Darcey said, feeling her own voice choke up. “It’s going to be okay. You’re safe now, that’s all that matters.”

Leona noticed Cordelia standing by the fireplace. The headmistress seemed relieved but her face was wrought with worry. The young witch turned the other way. she couldn’t bear to look her in the eye after what happened. And honestly, Cordelia didn’t blame her. If Leona thought that she was feeling bad, Cordelia felt ten times worse. She felt like she had personally let her own pupil down. Since Leona was also related to her old friend, she may as well have let Darcey down too.

The troubled headmistress wanted to take full responsibility for what happened that night. However, Myrtle and Darcey wouldn’t accept it. The redhead told her that being a leader means having to make difficult choices. Cordelia thought that Leona was the best one for the task and she was partially right. However, she still felt it was a foolish decision to let Leona do this on her own when the weeks dragged on. Cordelia knew she should have let Leona bring one of the girls or even herself to help give Misty the push she needed. But instead, fear clouded her judgment. She was so focused on keeping her other students safe, she decided to just toss Leona to the wolves.

Cordelia wished that Darcey would be more angry with her. Her friend told her that it was okay and that she only did what was best for the coven. However, Cordelia sensed a little resentment from her when she said that. She actually wanted Darcey to show more anger towards her since she put her niece’s life in danger. The headmistress wanted to slap her, yell at her, anything! Because the more her friend stayed silent, the more horrible she felt. 

Even so, she was just glad that Darcey was with her niece at that moment. Only Leona’s family could make her feel better after what happened. Myrtle thought it was best that they all retired for the night. After the last few dreadful days, they could all do with a good sleep. Darcey helped her niece to her room and decided to stay with her throughout the night. She knew that Leona would be plagued with nightmares and she was the only one who could make them go away. After that horrible night, she felt more determined than ever to protect her niece from the dark forces that persecuted their kind. If no one else in the coven was willing to do that, then so be it… 

* * *

“Please, Leo? I wish you would eat something.” Darcey pleaded with Leona to have the breakfast that Spalding brought up to her room.

It was a charming little platter with two fried eggs, some sausage, toast points and orange juice. Darcey had Spalding prepare it just for her. However, she just kept poking the yolks with her fork. Her appetite hadn’t returned since that awful night.

“I’m not hungry.” She said dejectedly.

“Then maybe some orange juice? I really think you should put a little something in your tummy.” Leona just shook her head and stared out the window. 

Darcey let out a melancholy sigh. It was hopeless. No matter how hard she tried, she wouldn’t get Leona to eat. This was getting very concerning since Leona always had a very hearty appetite. On any other day, she would have wolfed down her breakfast and immediately ask for seconds. But now, she refuses to consume anything.

Darcey was about to go with the desperate approach this time. However, before she could even try, someone was knocking on the door. “Come in.” She said. Cordelia quickly entered the room. She was looking pretty frazzled and to Darcey, that was never a good sign. “What is it, Delia?”

“The council is here.” She said nervously. “They want to talk to Leona right now.”

Darcey was exasperated. This was the last thing her niece needed. “Can’t you just tell them to come back in a few days? She isn’t exactly in the best state of mind at the moment.”

“They’re very insistent. They need to ask her some questions about what happened.”

The ravenette pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew exactly what the council was going to do. They were going to interrogate her. It’s possible that Myrtle would go easy on her, but the other two were pretty shady. She didn’t know whether or not they would tear her apart with their questions. Darcy was absolutely against this.

“No. I won’t allow it.” Her face was stern when she said that. She didn’t want her niece to go through anymore than she already had.

“Darcey, please don’t make this difficult for me.” Cordelia pleaded. “They said they won’t leave until they see her.”

“And I say they can fuck off. Don’t they know that Leona has suffered enough already? She isn’t ready to talk to them yet.”

“Leona can hear you, you know?” Both witches turned their heads to the brunette. Both surprised that snarky remark came out of her mouth. “Just give me some time to get dressed and brush my hair. I’ll be down in five minutes.”

Darcey was shocked that she was willing to go through with this. But, that didn’t make her any less worried of what this could do to her already fragile mental state. “Leo, you don’t have to do this.”

“It’s fine.” Leona was feeling more irritated the longer her mentors stayed. “I can fight my own battles, Darcey. I would’ve thought you’ve known that by now?” 

Her aunt’s mouth was left agape. Ever since Leona was a child, she had always referred to her as Auntie. This was the first time she said her first name without her kinship title. Darcey felt a dull ache in her chest. If she was being honest with herself, that really stung.

Ignoring her aunt’s expression, Leona put her breakfast to the side and got up from the bed. “Now if you don’t mind, can you two please leave me alone so I can get ready in peace?”

“O-okay…” Cordelia said. Still feeling shocked by this attitude. “I'll let them know right away.”

After the headmistress walked out, Darcey lingered in the doorway. She wanted to say something to give her niece some more comfort and peace of mind. However, she couldn’t think of anything. Besides, it was very clear that sticking around would only make Leona angry. Without saying a word, she closed the door and followed her friend downstairs to the parlor.

Leona picked her usual ensemble to wear. A nice T-shirt, shorts and thigh-highs. However, she only picked the black ones out of respect for Misty. After she did her hair, she quickly went downstairs to the ancestral room to greet the council. Cordelia and Darcey were seated on the farther right end of the room. Meanwhile, Myrtle and two other people Leona didn’t know, stood in front of the fireplace. One of the members to her left was a short and stout older gentleman. He wore a fedora, a black cloak and tailored suit. The man seemed friendly enough, but Leona knew by now that looks can be terribly deceiving. The member on Myrtle’s right was a woman just about the redhead’s age. But unlike Myrtle, the woman was mousey looking and had a very sullen look on her face. Just like the older gentleman, she didn’t know what to make of her either.

Myrtle smiled softly at Leona. “How are you feeling, my dear? Did you get enough sleep?” She knew her troubled pupil probably didn’t, but felt like she needed to ask anyway. 

Leona shrugged her shoulders. “More or less…” Just like Darcey, Myrtle was reluctant to have the girl be interrogated after everything she’s been through. However, after that terrible incident, the council needed to hear the full story from her. 

“Leona, allow me to introduce you. This is our brother warlock and second member of the council, Quentin Fleming.”

Mr. Fleming tipped his hat to her. “Charmed to finally meet you in person, Ms. Watch.” He said with a fine southern drawl.

“And this is our sister witch Cecily Pembroke. She serves as our stenographer for the council.” Ms. Pembroke simply nodded her head in greeting.

“Um, it's nice to meet you too…” Leona fiddled with her hands. These people looked decent, but they made her feel nervous. She had a hunch they wanted to know more of what happened between her and Misty. But, didn’t they already know the details? Leona decided to play dumb to see how they react. “I understand you all wanted to talk to me, but what’s this about?”

“The council is usually summoned under the gravest circumstances.” The mousey one finally spoke up. “Even though we were told ahead of time what was going on with you and the swamp witch, we need to know, from your perspective, what happened that night. Also, we need to determine whether or not it’ll be safe for you to live here.”

Leona felt like she really did commit a crime. Quentin noticed the small look of panic on the girl’s face and tried to reason with her to calm her nerves. “It’s just a formality, Darlin’. Nothin’ to worry about.”

“Please, Leona?” Myrtle pleaded. “We’re only going to ask you a few questions so we can prevent another tragedy like this from happening again. The sooner we start, the sooner we can all move on from this.”

Leona still felt unsure. They said these questions were to help prevent another witch from getting killed. However, it really did feel like she was about to go on trial. As much as she wanted to back out, she didn’t have much of a choice. She caused enough trouble already and she didn’t want to make the council upset with her. There’s no telling what they might have done if she didn’t corporate.

Leona nodded her head in compliance and said quietly, “Okay.” 

Myrtle sighed with relief. Honestly, it wouldn’t do anyone any good if Leona remained stubborn. “Very good. Leona dear, if you could sit right over there, we can get started.”

Myrtle pointed to the lonely chair facing the table near the far left end of the parlor. Leona sat down first followed by the council. Pembroke took out an old stenograph that looked like it came straight out of the 1960s. Leona knew that the coven was old fashioned, but it appeared they really were just stuck in the past.

Once everyone was settled, Myrtle began the trial. “The inquiry into the death of Misty Day has officially commenced.”

“Noted.” Said Mr. Fleming.

“And the penalty for inflicting grievous bodily harm to a fellow Salem descendant can be but one… death by fire.”

All color drained from Leona’s face as she felt her heart stop in her chest. Did they really think she killed Misty? ‘_No! No, no no. Try to keep it together, Leo! Like they said, this is only a formality. They know_ _you didn’t do anything wrong. Just take a deep breath; you’re going to be fine.’_

Not wanting the young witch to feel more terrified than she was, Myrtle began her questions. “Ms. Watch, from what we learned from Ms. Cordelia, you usually plan your visits with Misty Day accordingly. Considering she was not allowed to own a cellular device, she would call you first through the commune’s landline or the local payphone. Tell us, was your visit planned the day she died?”

Leona grabbed the hem of her shorts tightly. She knew that she couldn’t lie to Myrtle Snow. According to her Aunt Darcey, Myrtle is the Guardian of Veracity in the Vernacular. Meaning she had the magical ability to know when a lie was being told. A human lie detector. The young witch took another deep breath. The only thing to do was to be honest. No more excuses. Whatever consequences that would come of this trial, Leona had to accept it.

“No, my visit wasn’t planned at all. I went to the commune of my own accord. I didn’t want anyone to know I was going over there.”

“Now, did something happen before you headed over to the swamp, Darlin’? For instance, did you get in a fight with your sisters?” The older gentleman asked as he put out his cigarette.

This was a tough one. Leona felt her cheeks heat up as she remembered the passionate night she had with Madison and how she was outed for it by the students. She was still very ashamed of what happened. This was something she couldn’t exactly tell the council about. Who knows what they might do if they found out that she slept with one of Cordelia’s students? In the end, she decided to downplay what happened. Leona didn’t want to throw the girls under the bus. But on the other hand, it was partially their fault that this happened… 

“Yeah, the students were being catty and they hurt my feelings that morning. When Cordelia came into the hallway to see what was going on, I couldn’t stand to be in the house anymore. I felt like I needed to get away and Misty was the only one I wanted to see.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Myrtle said sympathetically. “Can you tell us what caused your feelings to get hurt?”

Leona’s face turned beet red. She put her head down and continued to fiddle with the hem of her shorts. “It’s… It’s too personal. I’m sorry…”

The redhead nodded. “We understand. So, you went straight to the swamp after you left the school?”

“That is correct.” She replied.

Ms. Pembroke stopped typing for a moment. “We were told that your visits to Ms. Day’s became less frequent, yes? Because the commune elders were becoming more and more suspicious of your activities together, they decided to tighten their security and keep a watchful eye on the swamp witch.”

“Yes ma’am.”

The stenographer pushed up her glasses and cleared her throat. “Considering you’re the new owner of the All-Seeing eyes of the Gods, couldn’t you have used your powers to check the perimeter for any guards that may have discovered you?”

Pembroke wouldn’t have known this, but that question hurt. Leona knew she should have done that first! Her father already told her that… Still, she couldn’t make up any excuses. “I know I could have… But, I was in a bad place and I just wasn’t thinking. Being with Misty was all I could think about.”

Ms. Pembroke nodded and went back to typing. Myrtle decided to take over again. “Moving forward, you went to Misty’s bungalow and decided to stay there for the rest of the day?”

“Yeah, like I said, I just wanted to be with her. But then, she told me she was ready to leave the commune and go to the academy. I offered to help pack whatever she could carry. Then I stayed the night so I could escort her to the bus station. We planned to go on the 4:30 AM bus and leave the commune an hour early to be safe.”

“However, that never came to fruition…” Mr. Fleming pointed out.

“No… it didn’t…” Leona said dejectedly. “I guess I was spotted by someone who was guarding the compound from the forest. I don’t know if they found out what we were planning or not. But, since they didn’t like me interacting with Misty, they must have suspected we were up to something. They broke into the bungalow at around 2:30 AM, I think. We tried to fight them off, but they were too strong.”

“Then what happened?” Myrtle asked.

Leona started shaking in her seat. She didn’t want to remember this part, but her mouth was on autopilot at this point. “Th-they… They dragged us to this empty field. T-then the guards tied Misty to this stake made of scrap metal… T-then t-t-they… they….” Her breathing started to get shallow as the horrific memories came flooding back again. 

Ms. Snow took immediate notice of her distress. “It’s alright, dear. Have some tea to calm your nerves.”

Darcey wanted to step in and call this whole thing off. This whole “trial” was a complete sham! She knew that this would make Leona feel worse. The ravenette was about to leave her seat and get her niece away from the council. Cordelia sensed what her friend was about to do and quickly grabbed her wrist and shook her head in response. Whatever Darcey wanted to do, wouldn’t help in Leona’s case. Besides, after having some of the tea Spalding brought out for her and taking a few deep breaths, the girl regained what was left of her composure.

“Are you able to tell us what happened after Misty was killed?” The redhead asked.

“I-I don’t know. It got really blurry after they b-burned her… But, I think my pyrokinesis was triggered when they tried to bring me to the stake. After that I blacked out and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital.”

Pembroke opened the manila folder on the table. “According to your file, this wasn’t the first time you used your pyrokinesis.” Her dark eyes pierced in to Leona’s. “About a month ago, you attacked and killed your father with this ability, correct?”

“That was different!” Leona shouted in a panic. “I didn’t even know I could perform pyrokinesis. My mental breakdown caused me to black out. I never wanted to kill my dad!”

“But, you fully intended to kill the commune elders?” Mr. Fleming asked.

“I don’t know!” She yelled as she stood out of her seat. “I don’t know how to control my power! Like I said before, my pyrokinesis was set off because they tried to kill me too. It may have been out of self-defense, but I never wanted anyone to die! Why does everyone think I want to kill everyone with this goddamn power!?”

“Leona.” Myrtle said in a firm tone. “I’m going to have to tell you to calm yourself and sit down…” The brunette did as she was told. Getting angry wasn’t going to do her any good and Myrtle knew that. “My dear, your aunt sent you to this academy to not only be protected, but to learn how to control your powers. The resources you need are all right here at your fingertips. However, you’ve refused to take any lessons from Cordelia even though you’ve lived here for over a month. Can you tell us why?”

Leona twiddled her thumbs. There were a few reasons why she didn't want to take any instructions from the headmistress. She never wanted to use her pyrokinesis for any reason ever again. That much was certain. However, the teacher herself was the main problem on her list of reasons. But, Cordelia was already feeling sheepish so she was rather reluctant to out her in front of the council. On the other hand, looking back on her rocky relationship with her new mentor and how it was also her fault that Misty was dead, it didn’t matter anymore. Leona was mad at everyone at this point, including herself… 

“I… I never wanted to use my power again… I hate it! Having the power to burn people alive, i-it’s not a gift. It’s a curse. I’ll never use my fire again… I can’t.”

“But, that’s not all, is it.” Myrtle said sadly.

Leona began to chuckle bitterly. “Honestly, I still can’t believe my aunt placed her trust in Ms. Cordelia in the first place. The woman can barely handle her students let alone a twenty-one year old. I kept telling her that I needed help with bringing Misty here, but she said that I was the only one who could do it. If she had just listened to my suggestion, maybe Misty would still be alive. I can’t trust her to teach me, if she doesn’t have the capacity to listen to her own students.”

“Leo…” Darcey whispered softly. This wasn’t going well at all. Her poor friend was crying quietly next to her as her niece said all those awful things. However, as much as she wanted to comfort Cordelia, Leona had a point. She really should have taken her student’s suggestion to bring some help along with her. But still, as the headmistress, she only did what she thought was best. Despite being a successful fashion icon and head of her own company, Darcey knew firsthand that being a leader wasn’t easy. It was especially challenging to Cordelia because of her flimsy confidence.

Myrtle got up from her seat and walked towards the brunette. “Tell me, Leona… do you trust anyone here in this coven?”

When Leona first arrived at Miss Robichaux's Academy she trusted her mentors and sister witches blindly. She really thought her aunt knew what was best for her and that this place could become a home to her. With all her heart, she wanted to finally belong to a place where she no longer had to feel like an outcast… a freak… But, living in this place for over a month, Leona felt more alone than she’s ever been in her life. Those girls weren’t her friends, they never were! Cordelia was nothing more than a weak-willed sycophant to the council. And the council itself? It was clear as day that they wanted to weed Leona out the moment they started her hearing… This coven was filled to the brim with treacherous snakes. A den filled with liars and betrayers. Sure, they’d welcome you with a warm smile and kind words to lure you in. But, the moment your back is turned, they’d stab you in an instant without a second thought. If that’s what this coven was all about, then Leona wanted no part of it.

She raised her head towards the redhead; looking her dead straight in the eyes. The answer to Myrtle’s question was a simple one. “No… I don’t.”

* * *

“Well, what are they saying?” Madison asked Nan impatiently.

“Hang on, the council’s moving to another room.”

The girls were told to stay in their bedrooms until the council was done with Leona’s trial. However, being the ever curious witches that they were, wanted to know what was going to happen to their sister. They pretty much heard everything between Leona and the witches council.

“*_sigh* _At least she didn’t blab about the night we fucked.”

“Really?” Queenie stared Madison down. “That’s all you care about? Who knows what might happen to Leo at this point?” 

“Hey that’s what she gets for screwing up her assignment. Besides, she tried to throw us under the bus!”

“But…” Nan spoke up. “We kinda deserved it…” 

Madison scoffed. “Look, It’s her own damn fault she decided to get all touchy. If she had just shrugged it off, then maybe Leo wouldn’t be in this mess. She brought this on herself. This is her shit to deal with, not ours.”

As much as Queenie wanted to call her out on her BS, what she said kind of made sense. Maybe if Leona laughed it off, then maybe things would have returned to normal. However, deep down, Queenie couldn’t take Madison’s side in this matter. Leona wasn’t that type of person to shrug off issues so easily. She was sensitive and kind and liked people for who they were inside. That's what she liked about her new friend. Leona didn’t see Queenie for her skin color or her weight. Instead, she just saw her as her fellow witch.

The more Queenie thought about how she pushed Leona away this past month, the more guilty she felt. She had finally found that one person who liked her for who she was and she blew it. If she had done more to be a better friend and maybe even help her bring Misty back to the school, none of this would have happened. Unfortunately, what’s done is done. There was no going back now.

“Oh! I hear something!” Nan shouted.

Madison and Queenie went over to her bed. Waiting with baited breath on what was going to happen to Leona. Nan tried to focus on what the council was saying. It’s hard when her sisters are staring at her, it really messes up her concentration. However, she managed to get something. There was a lot of arguing going on downstairs, but it immediately turned silent. Then, Nan’s face went sullen.

“What are they saying?” Queenie asked.

“They’re…” She sputtered. “They’re going to expel her…”

* * *

After Leona gave the head of the council her answer, they immediately ended their interrogation. They parted to another room of the house to decide Leona’s fate. It took hours for them to decide. When the council came back to the parlor it was already early evening. The three elder witches looked as calm and stone-faced as ever. However, Leona noticed that Myrtle looked more melancholy than her fellow council members. Whatever decision they had to make, couldn’t have been easy for her.

“Leona, will you stand up please?” Myrtle asked sadly.

The young witch got up from her chair and took a few steps towards the council. She held her hands tightly together; the silence getting more palpable by the minute.

“Leona Watch.” Ms. Pembroke said firmly. Leona was relieved when Pembroke spoke, but she wished it could have been Myrtle announcing her sentence instead. This woman has been so cold and hard-hearted throughout the entire hearing. “We all commend your bravery in trying to save your sister witch, Misty Day. Even though the mission was a failure, we understand you did everything you could. However…” Leona knew it. In the end, all those words of flattery were meaningless. But, she knew she had this coming. Even though she spoke honestly, Leona still self-sabotaged her trial. “While we find that the guilt of her murder lies solely with the people of the commune, we find your retaliation against them to be extremely irresponsible.”

Leona was taken aback for a moment. They found her actions “irresponsible”? She told them that she couldn’t control her power! Besides, they were going to kill her too! It was all in self-defense even if it wasn’t in her control. 

Darcey was more angry than she was flabbergasted. Of course they were going to throw Leona under the bus! “This is bullshit!” She yelled. The ravenette walked towards Leona and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Didn’t any of you hear her at all!? Leona didn’t have a choice! And you all have the gall to-”

“Silence, Darcey.” Myrtle commanded. Her voice shaking

“Myrtle…” She whispered. She couldn’t believe it. Her mentor, a woman she admired for her strong will and wisdom, was actually giving into Fleming and Pembroke’s whims. “You can’t be serious? You’re actually going to let them get away with this?”

The redhead sighed, looking the other way. “This is out of my hands, Darcey…”

The mousey witch cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention again. “As I was saying…” She looked back to Leona. “Because of your actions and foolish refusal to learn how to control your pyrokinesis, you have placed our coven at risk. Also, you’ve made it abundantly clear that you will never trust the witches of this sacred house. Making us question our trust in you as well. Which is why, for the safety of the coven, we have no choice but to ban you from Miss Robichaux's Academy and the state of Louisiana indefinitely.” Pembroke then turned to Darcey. “Ms. Watch, from now on, the girl is your responsibility. Is that clear?”

The ravenette clenched her teeth. Of course the council would choose the coward’s way out! They certainly had no qualms about excluding witches who were deemed as liabilities in their eyes. This was partially the reason why she distanced herself from the coven over the years. She fully expected Fleming and Pembroke to make such a spineless decision. But, Myrtle? The redhead always strived for justice and reform for this coven! Why did she have to bow to her cohort’s whims now?! Did she really believe that Leona was a danger to the coven too?

Darcey bit her lip and squeezed her niece’s shoulders tightly. So, this was how it's going to be? Fine! If these old crones couldn’t protect her beloved Leona, she would. She gave everyone on the council a steely glare and said, “Crystal…”

Myrtle sighed. Her protege had every right to be angry. Unfortunately, it had to be done. “Very well then, meeting adjourned…”

* * *

After Pembroke and Fleming left the school, Darcey immediately got to work booking their early morning flight. The council declared that Leona had to be out of Louisiana by 6:00 AM the next day. Leona, Cordelia and Myrtle just sat in the parlor. However, no one dared to say a word. The tension between them was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. The two women were relieved when Darcey came back and immediately went to her. They couldn't stand awkward silence anymore.

“I take it, everything has been arranged?” Myrtle asked.

“Yes, it’s all taken care of. Leona will live with me in Paris for the rest of the summer. I’ve been needing a new assistant anyway, so I can continue being her mentor while preparing for the fall show.”

The redhead nodded. “It’s for the best, really.”

“Yeah.” Cordelia chimed in. “Darcey, I’m so sorry for being unable to protect her. I only wanted to do the right thing.”

The ravenette put a hand on her shoulder. “There’s no need to apologize, Delia. You did everything you could for Leo, even you, Myrtle. And I’ll always be grateful for that. But, this place just isn’t meant for her. I see that now…” Everyone was silent for a while; feeling ashamed of their failure in protecting their charge. Just because the academy was home to them when they were younger, didn’t mean all witches felt the same way. It was a very bitter sign of the ever changing times.

“How’s she holding up, by the way?” Darcey asked, wanting to break the unpleasant stillness.

Myrtle turned to face the back of Leona’s head. “Poor thing hasn’t said a word since the council adjourned. Hasn’t left the couch either.” 

“I see…” Darcey walked over to her niece. Leona’s shoulders were slumped and her head was facing the floor. She wouldn’t even look at her aunt. Darcey knelt down to meet Leona at eye level. She lifted her chin to see that her eyes were all red and puffy from crying. The poor girl looked so miserable. She embraced her niece tightly. It was the only thing she could think of to help her feel better. “Don’t worry, Sweetheart. Things are going to be different this time… I promise.”

Leona raised her arms to return the hug. However, before they could reach her aunt’s back, she suddenly stopped. Did Darcey really mean what she said? That once they were in Paris, everything will be fine? Looking back on her first night at the academy, she said some similar words. She told Leona that the academy would eventually feel like home and everything will be better for her. But… It didn’t. If anything, things ended up worse than they started!

After she retrieved her All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods, she killed her father when he showed his true colors to her. Leona’s own family was afraid of her and were now the topic of the neighborhood gossip chain. She already caused enough trouble for her mother and brother. Causing trouble for her aunt was the last thing she wanted! Leona knew that it’ll only get worse when they get to Paris. If she couldn’t keep it together here at the academy, being surrounded by Darcey’s classy friends and co-workers would become a living nightmare! And since Darcey didn’t know anything about pyrokinesis, Leona had a feeling that her unpredictable power was a disaster waiting to happen. Then everything her father and the council said about her being a liability would be right… 

Leona wasn’t sure, but deep down, she knew that Darcey was starting to believe the council. That she couldn’t handle herself and that she needed constant supervision. It certainly appeared that way now. Especially how Darcey and the others were speaking about her as if she wasn’t even there. And how she was being extra coddling with her. Leona couldn’t deny that she loved this sort of attention when she was younger. But now… it was absolutely suffocating. She didn’t want to be treated this way! She didn’t want to be treated like she couldn’t live her own life. But most of all, she didn’t want to be a burden to her family anymore. In that moment, Leona realized she couldn’t go back to how things were. 

Even though she failed Misty and was considered a burden by her family and the witches council, there was a way to redeem herself. ‘_ I should have done this from the start.’ _Leona thought. If Hellsalem’s Lot was the place where Michael lost his sight, maybe that was the place where it could be restored. 

She didn’t tell anyone this, but during her stay, she researched different forums online about the mysterious fog-covered city. All of them discussed the different miracles and strange happenings since the Great Collapse. However, a few particular forums caught her eye. The topic in question was all about this organization called Libra. Now, a city like Hellsalem’s Lot was bound to have numerous secret societies. However, Libra was different. There were a lot of theories as to what Libra was. One user said that they were a group of vigilantes with superhuman abilities. And that they try to protect the city since the law enforcement there was less than ideal. Another said that they were part of the underworld crime syndicate. Either way, this secret society knew more about the alterworld and its mysteries than anybody in Hellsalem’s Lot.

If Leona had any hope in trying to restore her brother’s sight, Libra was the key. However, she knew that finding them would be dangerous. There was no denying that the city was the very definition of danger. There were stories about people dying the moment they set foot inside the dome. But, in her heart, she understood that she would have to face the uncertainties when she got there. For Michael, Leona was more than willing to give her life so that her brother can see again. Even if it meant having to leave her family behind… 

Realizing she was still in her aunt’s embrace and that she left her arms hanging in mid air, Leona returned the hug. She held her tightly, wanting the loving gesture to last as long as possible. “I’m sorry, Auntie…” She said in between sobs.

Darcey chuckled. “There’s no need to apologize, Leo. Like I said, everything’s going to be fine.”

Her aunt didn’t know this, but in Leona’s own words, she was saying goodbye. Because if Hellsalem’s Lot was truly a city filled with perilous danger, this would probably be the last hug Darcey will ever get from her… 

* * *

When everyone in the academy was asleep, Leona immediately opened her laptop. First, she needed to go to her service provider’s website to get her phone number changed. She didn’t want anyone to know her location, so she deactivated all of her social media accounts too. Leona then checked the timetable on the train station’s site. There was a midnight train heading straight for Hellsalem’s Lot. She immediately called for an Uber to pick her up and quickly packed everything she could carry in her duffel bag. Leona decided to leave the clothes Darcey bought her behind.

Once she had everything packed and ready to go, there were a few more things she needed to take care of. The witches did everything they could to wipe the memories of what happened from the local law enforcement, that much was certain. However, Leona was still worried that they couldn’t get to every officer in the city. Until she felt absolutely sure that no one would be looking for her, she decided to take on her male form for a little while. She figured she would draw too much attention to herself changing her look entirely, so she just went with a few altercation to her male counterpart. Leona only made herself a few inches taller and her hair shorter, nothing much, but still a convincing difference from her usual self.

Next, and this was the hardest part. Leona wrote a goodbye letter to Darcey and left it on her pillow. A part of her felt scummy that she couldn’t say it to her face. However, she knew that Darcey would do anything to persuade her from going. Even though it hurt, this needed to be done. She needed to let her know that she didn’t want to be found.

After that was taken care of, Leona grabbed her bag and guitar case and quietly left the room. She made her way downstairs silently. No one was around to watch her leave. A part of her was disappointed that none of her sister witches was going to stop her. As petty as that was, she wanted at least something of them to show that they cared about her. Unfortunately, Leona knew that was never going to happen. Nevertheless, she proceeded to head out the door. The Uber was right on time and was waiting for her at the end of the path.

As soon as she got in the car, they were on their way to the station. During the ride, Leona kept wondering if she was really making the right choice. This was the first time she was striking out on her own. And that was pretty scary to think about. She would need to find some work to not only support herself, but her brother too. Until she found a way to restore her brother’s sight, she would help support him financially. It was the least she could do. 

Also, when she gets there, she would need to find an apartment. However, that was going to take some time, so she was going to be homeless for a while. Fortunately, she found out online that Little Akiba had a large amount of manga/internet cafes where she could stay temporarily. Not exactly the most comfortable place, but it was better than being out on the streets. Plus, it was all she could afford, so it would have to do until she found permanent housing. Even though Leona’s game plan wasn’t solid, it was still a decent start until she could begin searching for a way to regain Michael’s eyesight. 

When they finally arrived at the station, Leona headed straight to the ticket counter. It was pretty late, so there wasn’t much of a line. When it was her turn, the guy at the ticket counter looked at her male form eerily. Leona was wearing a black hoodie and since it was the dead of night, he had every right to be suspicious. Still she was a customer after all and he didn’t have the right to refuse her.

“Where to, young man?” He asked.

Leona took in a deep breath. There was no going back now. “Hellsalem’s Lot…”

_TO BE CONTINUED… _


End file.
